


Faroreday Festival

by ShireBeast



Series: Goddess Festivals [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anxiety Disorder, Aryll has ADHD, Established Relationship, Found Family, If yall didn't notice, M/M, Not Beta Read, Ravio is the same as those ladies that say 'my kids have four legs and fur' but its birds, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Siblings, Swearing, This is all fluff and I'm not sorry, big brother link, death mention, i also made up a whole card game with new suits, i just want them to have a nice loving family is that too much to ask?, i made a holiday for Hyrule am i a mega nerd yet?, mash up of games, maybe not all fluff, oh hey have some zelda/hilda background ship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 25,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22058173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShireBeast/pseuds/ShireBeast
Summary: Link takes Ravio to his hometown to visit his grandmother and sister for the first time. After a few years of being together and living in the same house, it was long over due that the Lorulean should meet his family- and now was the perfect time to do it. After all, Faroreday, the annual festival for the Goddess of Courage, is Aryll's favorite holiday.But, like always, bringing your boyfriend to your childhood home is a bit of a test in inner strength and steel nerves.RavioLi
Relationships: Aryll & Link (Legend of Zelda), Link/Ravio (Legend of Zelda)
Series: Goddess Festivals [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1791925
Comments: 42
Kudos: 93





	1. Chapter 1

Link picked at the strap of his travel bag as Ravio spoke with the marina’s desk clerk. He was supposed to be checking them in and handling the boarding passes, but by the constant burst of giggles coming from the woman, it was clear his boyfriend was in the midst of telling a story. He checked his watch for the umpteenth time and huffed. They still had plenty of time before the ferry left, but his skin still crawled with anxiety. Ravio must of gotten to a point in his tale where Link was involved, moving to gesture to him. The blond used the opportunity to glare and sign “let’s go” towards him. Ravio frowned but nodded and turned back to the clerk, gesturing wildly with his hands as he quickly ended their conversation. She laughed once more and looked like she told him to have a nice visit as he quickly made his way back to Link.

“Sorry, she asked me if we were brothers and I kind of just started talking.”

“Y-you be,” Link paused, his words not coming to his mouth easily as his nerves fogged his speech. He switched back to signing. “ _You seem to be good at the starting part. Maybe work on the stopping part.”_

_“_ Oh, please, you know that’s just part of my charm, Mr. Hero.” He kissed Link’s cheek as he took his shaking hand in his. “You need to calm down. This is supposed to be a holiday, not a horror movie.” He flashed him a grin, trying his best to ease the twitching fingers by interlacing them with his.

“ _Easy for you to say, I’m not meeting_ your _family for the first time._ ” He moved Ravio’s hand with his as he gestured, letting go only at key points and holding it again when he finished.

“Aw, baby, I’m sure they’ll love me! I’m quite the delight.”

“I wasn’t worried about that,” Link’s voice a low grumble as he leaned on his lover.

“I’m sure I’ll love them, too. If they’re anything like my big brave boy, I’ll have no trouble at all!” Link rolled his eyes at the alliterative pet name but smiled nonetheless.

“I hope so.”

“Well, I know so. Let’s go get a seat near the front of the boat; I want to see the island before we land.” 

Ravio pulled Link’s hand as he all but ran onto the ferry, bringing them all the way to the bow and sat in the first window seat. The Lorulean pressed his hands and the tip of his nose against the glass as he took in the sites of the sea with wide eyes. Seagulls swooped down near fishing boats as they pulled into the harbor, fishermen waving their arms to shoo them off the desks. Ravio grabbed Link’s sleeve and tugged.

“Hey, what’s that? Is that a dog out there?” 

Link followed Ravio’s finger to the subject in question. There was something swimming around the rocky shore and they both had to squint to see it. Link sighed out a laugh, thanking the goddess silently that it wasn’t a drowning pup.

“No, it’s just a seal, Rav.” 

Ravio gasped, turning to his boyfriend, a huge smile on his face. 

“You’ve never seen one before?” Link managed to ask before the Lorulean went on a long tangent about how they were his favorite animal as a kid and he only ever saw them at the zoo or in an aquarium and how wonderful it was to see one, even if it was from a mile away, and that he loved that Link could be there and… 

Link leaned his head on Ravio’s shoulder as he continued for the entire ride. As hard as it was for Link to talk when he was nervous, he knew his boyfriend had no problem filling in the blanks and gaps of his silence. He started dozing off, hearing only some of Ravio’s passionate rant about aquarium tanks and the difference between seals and sea lions. 

——

Outset Island was bright and beautiful: the complete opposite from Ravio’s home country. The waves crashed on the shore as gulls cried and cicadas hummed. Clear blue skies mirrored down into crystal clear waters that were teeming with rainbows of fish and life. The air was filled with the warm scents of salt and sand with a cool breeze bringing in the freshness of the forests on the southern shores.

Ravio leaned on the taxi’s window as they past the tourist attractions and beach resorts, and watched as they faded into markets and residential homes. Kids on bikes raced on the sidewalk as neighbors chatted with each other. There were houses that had small fences with pigs, others with huge fruit trees and lush gardens. It seemed almost everyone had a smile on their face.   


He turned to Link, his own smile vanishing as he noticed his blond boyfriend scowling at his lap. Ravio swallowed, his hand going towards Link’s as he tried to figure how it was possible for one man to get so tense so sudden. The cab slowed to a stop before he could ask. 

Link’s grandmother’s home wasn’t the biggest nor the fanciest on the block, but it was the only one that had so much _life_. Long green vines arched around the deck and patio, clinging to the walls and beams. Flower boxes decorated every window ledge and large, sturdy trees shaded the lush gardens from the tropical afternoon sun. There wasn’t a spot that didn’t have green leaves or flowers hugged against it. 

The door flung open before the boys could step out of the cab and a mess of blonde hair and blue pajamas barreled towards them. Link gasped and grabbed the figure in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground.

“Link!! You’re home!! I’ve missed you so much!!” The young girl buried her face in Link’s shoulder, her arms locked around him in a vice grip. 

“I missed you, too, Aryll!” He gave her a tight squeeze. “I want you to meet Ravio!”

She pulled away immediately, gasping and looking at the taxi. Ravio just finished tipping the cabby, their luggage already on the curb. He turned quickly at the sound of his name. Aryll’s eyes were just as blue as Link’s, her hair just as blonde, and her expressions just as intense. 

“Hiya, you must be Ar- oof!” He was cut short as the air was knocked out of him, lean arms clutching him in the same vice grip around his waist that held Link seconds ago.

“Yes, I’m Aryll and you’re Ravio! Link has told me _so_ much about you, so we don’t need introductions- I already know.”

Ravio smirked at Link, the blond's face flushed with at least three different types of embarrassment. 

  
“ _So_ much about me?” He asked as he returned her monster hug.

She pulled away and grabbed his hand, tugging him towards the house. “Oh yes, but you gotta meet Grandma! She made Link favorite dinner and I wanna eat _now_ so we have to get all this catch-up stuff over with, pronto!” 

“Wait,” Ravio laughed, “I have to grab our bags.”

“Link’s got them.” She turned to Link, her face locked in determination. “Right, big brother?”

Link lifted his hand, about to give her a rude, single finger response, when the front door opened again. 

Now, Link wasn’t tall, Ravio knew this, and height is from genes, so naturally he had suspected Link’s family would all be short, as well. However, Link’s grandma wasn’t short- she was _tiny_. She stood at an impressive 4’5” that made Ravio feel like a tower. She gently smiled when she saw them, a warm and welcoming sight. Link gripped his luggage strap as he hauled it over to the front entrance. He dropped it at the door and gave his grandmother a hug, one not as fierce as the one for his sister but still filled with as much love, if not more. Ravio couldn’t hear what the elder woman said to Link but it made the blond laugh and nod. He turned to face them and gestured at Rav, waving him over.

Ravio felt his heart beat faster as he walked over to them, feeling more anxious than he would if he was meeting the very Queen of Hyrule. This was the most important woman in Link’s life, and if he messed this up- well, he really couldn’t mess this up.

“Hello, Mrs. Wi-“ Her hand shot up to his mouth and shushed him, frowning and shaking her head. His heart stopped, his mind racing to figure what he had done to insult her.

“No, no.” She looked up at him and smiled, her wrinkles causing her eyes to close and air to return to his lungs. “To you, I’m Grandma. Come inside, you’re letting the cold air out.”

——

Grandma let them have some time to get settled and had the mind to tell Aryll to leave them be. They were going to be staying in Link’s childhood bedroom for the two weeks they were going to be there, but by the looks of it, Ravio guessed that Aryll used it as a spare playroom. He figured her grandmother told her to clean it before the boys came and her tiding skills must be the same as her brother’s: dolls and toys were shoved under the bed, arts and craft projects piled in the back of the closet, and dress-up clothes were balled up and shoved into drawers. ‘If you can’t see the mess, it’s not a mess’ was something he remembered Link telling him after he ‘cleaned’ their apartment.

“I don’t know why you were nervous about me not liking them,” Ravio said, pulling a witches hat out of the dresser to make room for his shirts, “They’re wonderful!”

Link pushed a popsicle stick house to the side as he set their bags in the closet. “I just worry that Aryll is too much sometimes. She doesn’t really have a filter.” He paused. “But, then again, I guess that would make her a better fit with you.” He grinned and Ravio let out a short laugh.

“You’re right! I, too, have the social etiquette of a nine year-old.”

“She’s ten. Don’t sell yourself short.” 

  
Ravio threw a stuffed bear at him. He caught it, laughing as his boyfriend stuck his tongue out at him. He strutted over to him, holding the bear in front of his face. 

“I’m sowwy, Wavie,” he made the bear say, his babying voice entering a new form of sickly, sticky sweet, “Dat was mean. You awe vewy matuwe.”

Ravio let out a loud, dramatic groan. “You’re impossible.”   


They erupted into giggles as Link tossed the bear and grabbed his waist, pulling him into a hug. 

“You love it,” he whispered. 

Ravio hummed in agreement as Link kissed him, his hands going into blond locks. He opened his mouth to deepen the kiss when Link broke it off. He let out a small sound of protest, but the blond just smiled and shook his head. 

“Dinner should be ready soon, Bunny.”

——

“You don’t have Faroreday in Lorule!?” 

Ravio grabbed another roll as Aryll all but shouted her question at him. 

“No, we do. It’s just not really a big deal like it is here.”   


Her eyes were wide as she looked at him, an odd mix of disbelief and pity. 

He gave her a reassuring smile. “You’ll have to show me how to celebrate it here, though. Can you help me with that?”

“Oh! Yes, I can!” Her face lit up as ideas ran through her head. “The festival is in a few days so we should have plenty of time to teach you everything you need to know!” Link rolled his eyes but she pretended not to notice. “We’ll start after dinner and I can tell you about the Great Fairies and the Waker of the Four Winds and the dances to do at the fair and the offerings and…” she trailed off as her grandma touched her hand softly.

“Don’t overload the poor man, Ar. Remember this is his first time even on the island. Link, sweetie, can you pass the butter?” The elder gave a gentle smile to the Lorulean as her grandson handed her the spread. “What do you think of it, so far?”

Ravio cut into a piece of ham, trying not to think of the pigs he saw earlier. “It’s great! Very warm and sunny. You want to know something? Our home in Hateno? It’s so rainy this time of year there so it gets too grey. It’s a real bummer. But here? I’m just happy to be here! Everything’s so bright! And your home is so beautiful, too. I’ve never seen so many plants in one place. This food is also amazing! I can see where Link get’s his cooking skills from.”   


He took a bite, looking over to Link for some sort of confirmation that he was saying the right things. He figured he was, seeing his boyfriend’s smile didn’t falter in the slightest. 

Grandma gave a small laugh. “Thank you. I’m glad to see my grandson has found such a delightful young man, Ravio.”

He grinned and winked at Link. “See? I’m a delight.” 

The blond smiled and shook his head gently, not finding any reason to disagree.

——

“Pfft, Moblins?” Ravio snorted as he shuffled the cards in his hands, trying to find the right one to put down. Aryll gave him a glare that could freeze Death Mountain. They sat on the floor of the bedroom, playing a game that the two Hylians taught him in haste. They each get four cards and have seven rounds to either trade a card from their hand to the deck, or pass. The grounds for winning were simple enough: have the suits that were closest to the Goddesses. Rav had two of the three Knights, a Darknut, and a Princess. He dropped the Darknut and picked up another card, trying not to smile as he slid it into his hand.

“Yeah! They take away kids that don’t leave out candy for the Great Fairies!” 

_She had as much fight and stubbornness as her big brother_ , Ravio mused. 

The outbursts were caused when he suggested they placed bets with the chocolate rupees they had which, in turn, brought out a full on rage from the child, claiming she didn’t want to take any chances with disappointed and/or angry fae. Link picked a card from the deck and put it down, grabbing a new one, using the distraction at his advantage. 

“Oh, c’mon, Ar, aren’t you a little old to believ-“ Ravio stopped short as a different pair of icy blue eyes shot him a silent and dangerous warning look, “to… to believe the Great Fairies would just let monsters take kids away? They’re too kind to do that, right?” Link seemed to be satisfied by his less than graceful recovery and picked another card from the deck.

Aryll smiled, her eyes casted down slightly. “Don’t worry, Ravy, I’ll put out extra chocolates so they don’t take you away when you’re here. Faroreday isn’t just about candies though. It’s about friends and family protecting each other and showing the Goddess our Courage.” She looked up at him with a beaming smile. “I’d give all my candies up if that would protect you!” 

Ravio hiccuped, trying not to choke from the sheer amount of admiration that was shining out of this child towards him. It was too pure and his heart ached. Link cleared his throat, knowing the warning signs of a weepy boyfriend all too well. Ravio cried when a rabbit fell asleep in his arms when they went to the petting zoo, when a puppy rolled over for them to rub its tummy on the street, and once when he saw an impossibly small figurine of a Minish with a clover on sale at a gift shop. Nowhere was safe from his sentimental sap of a lover, it seemed. 

“Aryll, did Gran say anything about the nut cakes she was making? Maybe you should go see if she’s almost done. I bet she’d love a taste tester.”

“Oh,” she gasped, “do you think she’d give me an early piece?” 

“Only one way to find out,” Link said, nodding towards the door.

“Okay,” she threw her cards on the floor, “I had a cruddy hand anyway. Octoroks never beat anything. I demand a rematch later, though!” 

  
She brushed her skirt off as she stood and skipped out of the room. Ravio sniffed, rubbing his sleeve across his tearing eyes.

“You know she won’t actually give up her chocolates, right? You really don’t have to cry over that. She’ll probably just steal some of mine just to give them to you, to make it look like she’s selfless. She’s a crook.” 

Rav looked up at Link, shocked he would out his sister out like that. 

“Oh, uh, I’m not crying over that,” he sniffled again but smiled, “I’m crying ‘cause I would of won.” He showed Link his hand, a Princess, a Hero, and two Knights. The blond chuckled. 

“Nah, you’d still cry because you’d lose to this.” He turned his own hand over, showing all three of the Triforce cards and a King. 

Ravio scowled. “How did you-… did you cheat?”

Link laughed. “Not this time, no.”

“Oh, okay. Wait! What do you mean ‘this time’?”

“Where do you think Aryll learned her sneaky tricks from? Not from my gran, that’s for sure.” 

They erupted into laughter as Ravio pushed him down on to the ground, playfully ruffling his hair and messing up his pony tail. He pinned his shoulders down, sitting on the other’s lower belly.

“You scoundrel! You shifty little cheater! I thought you had honor, Mr. Hero!”

“I do! I do! I only cheated a little! I mostly used luck on this game!” 

Link laughed harder as Ravio screeched ‘mostly?!’ and gave him a raspberry on his cheek. He weakly tried to push him off, his fingers going into raven hair as he pressed his hands on the side of his face. Ravio grasped his wrists nuzzled his palm with his nose, humming happily.

“You should keep these sneaky hands in check, buddy. The Moblins take away naughty children, ya know. You’d end up lunch for a Lynel.” He planted a sweet kiss on the soft skin of his wrist, “Unless, you want to be naughty?” He smirked down at Link, who rolled his eyes as a blush pinked the tip of his ears and cheeks.

“Not here, Bunny. And besides,” he gave a full push that got Ravio off of him, “Moblins don’t take bad kids, just kids that don’t leave food out for them. They can be won over by the shittiest brat with a caramel covered voltfruit.” 

“Ah… Wait, so can you! Should I be worried, Mr. Moblin? A fearsome criminal can worm his way into our home with a roasted cucco for all I know.” Rav gave Link’s stomach a light hearted poke. Link batted his hand away and stood, dusting off the back of his shirt. 

“That would have to be a damn good cucco…” Link grinned, helping the Lorulean up. 

“And what dish would be good enough for you to give me up, my hungry Moblin?” Ravio teased as he interlaced their fingers.

Link was quiet as he gave the question serious thought.

“Uh, your answer should be, ‘no meal could ever be good enough for me to give you up, my wonderful, beautiful, clever and handsome Ravio!’ Feel free to paraphrase.” 

Link chuckled and kissed Rav’s nose. “Sure, sure. All that and more. You’re more marvelous than Goron Spiced curry with chunks of sautéed meat.”

“With grilled peppers?”

Link nodded.

“And with pumpkin soup on the side?” 

Link stilled for a beat but then nodded again, holding his growling stomach with his free hand. “Stop naming foods before I really do sell you for a sandwich.”

They laughed as Link led them out towards the kitchen, both hoping his deft hands could grab them a sweet cake without Grandma’s wooden spoon finding his knuckles first.

——

“… so then you put the dish of rupees by the door frame in the evening and by morning, the fairies have taken them and brought good luck and they’ll protect the house for the whole year to come!” 

  
Aryll grinned up at Ravio as she finished her explanation and he nodded. He had been roped into baby-sitting her alone. Grandma went out to see her friends and Link was out doing goddess knows what. It was the second day of their trip and when he woke up this morning, Link already dressed and leaving. When he asked him where he was going, he just kissed his forehead and told him to go back to sleep.

They were sitting on the floor as Aryll drew on a stack of papers and Ravio listened, without interruption, to the _entire_ explanation of the foreign holiday. He already was chastised and instructed not to tell Aryll about the fiction and fantasy of the holiday, Link claiming that telling a kid fairies weren’t real was right next to kicking a puppy. Ravio thought lying was definitely worse. It wasn’t the best conversation he had with his boyfriend but he decided it wasn’t worth getting in to an argument about. After all, Aryll was Link’s little sister and he wasn’t in a position to go against a big brother’s wishes.

“What do you even do at your house if you don’t have the Goddess holidays?” Aryll’s voice bordered between a genuine concern and an accusation. Rav blinked, not mentally prepared for more of her questioning, especially about himself.

“Oh, I mean,” he glanced at the clock on the wall, wishing he knew when either of the other adults were coming back, “I live with Link. He usually comes here when it’s a Hyrule holiday so-“ 

“What about before that? When you were little? What’s Lorule like?” 

Ravio’s heart dropped, his arms felt that they were made of iron that pulled his shoulders down. “I, uh…It was a while since I was there. It’s different now than it was when I was a kid. We had different… holidays, I guess? But, nothing exciting.” 

Ayrll’s scribbling continued even as both of them fell silent with words. His chest was tight and he could feel his own breathing getting caught somewhere between his nose and throat. He tried not to think about his birthplace, the family that disowned him, the people that threatened his life, and him running away from it all. He tried to focus on the papers in front of the girl. She was drawing a horse by the looks of it. Or maybe a cow? The neck was too long so maybe it was a giraffe… He watched her draw a triangle on its head and drag little squiggles around its body. A stinky party giraffe?

“That’s cool. I drew a unicorn for you. Link says you like birds but I can’t draw birds. I can draw unicorns though and I figured everyone likes unicorns.” She held out the paper to him and grabbed a new one. 

Ravio smiled as he studied the drawing, the three ton weight on his body lifted off in a rush of relief. She didn’t even care to press, her attention spent on that one topic and quickly going to the next. He silently thanked what ever goddess blessed both siblings with shot attention spans. 

“Thank you, she’s beautiful. I’ll put her on our fridge when we get home and every time I see her, I’ll think of you.”

Aryll let out a snort as she drew the arm (leg?) of what ever animal she was trying to draw next. “That’s really lame, Ravio.”

He couldn’t keep his laughter in. “You’re right, pal. I take pride in my lame-atue so that was actually a compliment!”

She giggled with him. “Yikes, between you and Link, your house must be the lamest of the lame. I bet you have a fake wooden ‘Life, Laugh, Love’ sign in your kitchen and a welcome mat that says ‘every bunny welcome’ with rabbits.”

Ravio gave a theatrical gasp. “My word! I would never stoop to that level of tackiness! Link, on the other hand…” he trailed off as both of them laughed. 

He actually did have that mat, but he wasn’t about to tell her.

“Speaking of Link…” She looked up at her brother leaning on the door frame, his boots covered in mud and a pained look on his face. “Where were you?”

Link didn’t answer with words, but signed _Town_ with his hands. 

Ravio looked at Link then to Aryll, who simply nodded and went back to drawing. Link took off his boots and placed them by the door, avoiding Ravio’s eyes as he walked pass them to the washroom. When they heard the door click and the water run, Aryll looked up him.

“Does he still do that in Hateno, too?” She was blunt. Her blue eyes bored into him and demanded honesty.

“The signing? Yeah, sometimes. Only when he gets really stressed.” Rav searched her face, wanting to finally get some answers as to why he does it at all. She just nodded and went back to drawing.

That sat in silence for a while as Ravio listened for Link to finish his shower.

When they first met, it was autumn. The leaves were red and yellow and the nights were just starting to get longer as Ravio started his first year of college. Link was in one of his classes, a science lab if he could remember correctly, and they quickly became aquatinted. His understanding of sign language was one of the things that really started their friendship, Link only ever speaking with his hands at that point. One of them invited the other to study one night but they only ended up ordering pizza and talking until morning.

The season came and went, but they still hung out. Pumpkin picking turned to ice skating, which turned to walks in the park which turned to days at the beach. It was one particular night of watching movies that got him to speak aloud to Ravio, asking him if it was okay to kiss him. The sound of his voice was something else- it was harsh and raw from underuse but a soft and gentle tenor that made his heartbeat race and his face flush. 

The months after their kiss were filled with trial and error. Link tried to speak to others without stuttering or slurring, knowing Ravio was next to him to catch him if he’d fall. And he did fail at first, a lot. His throat would close around a word as the food clerk waited for his order, his mind pushing any logical sentences into a cloud of murky repetitiveness and jumbles. Ravio would take his hand, knowing to step in with his own order as Link collected his thoughts to then give them via sign. 

It wasn’t a sudden change in the least bit, but one day Ravio noticed Link’s hands didn’t form his words any longer, his voice was loud and clear when he complained about finals or complimented a classmate’s hair cut. He would talk on the phone and answer questions aloud in class, his arms only raising if he was explaining something or giving emphasis to a thought. 

It was fine, until a particularly important exam came before their graduations. It was a deciding test, one that would see if Link would pass this class or fail and have to take another semester before getting his diploma. Ravio saw all of Link’s words fall silent as he struggled with this task, his hands the only communication outside of written text. It was almost like the years before meant nothing. 

But the exam came and went, Link passed the class and graduated on time, and his voice came back slowly. Ravio wondered what took his words from him in the first place, but never pressed. What ever trauma silenced him was his business, Rav figured, and if he wanted to share it, he would. If not, well, that was fine, too. He didn’t need to know everything about Link to know that he loved him, and that he loved him back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your comments ;-; It means a lot to me to see that people read this and like it!
> 
> Edit: I re-uploaded this chapter and the first one after fixing some grammatical mistakes

Link pulled a clean shirt over his head, breathing in the smell of fresh laundry. With the Faroreday festival so close, it was getting harder to go into town without crowds of people or old faces from his childhood trying to talk to him. Even getting up early didn’t help with the plethora of islanders in the markets. Still, he had to run errands for Grandma, so no amount of claustrophobia or old social habits could stop him. A mission’s a mission, even if it’s just grocery shopping.

Most were friendly enough, asking if he was only visiting for the holiday or to tell his gran that they said hello. A man he distinctly remembered having a hard fist and a sharp tongue when they were teens tried to sell him a watch in town, only to then go off into a casual conversation. It was what Link dreaded. If it was one thing that closed off his mind from the real world, it was small talk. A familiar feeling of autopilot engaged and he walked out the door, thanking the man and trying to remember why he went into the shop in the first place. He had collected all the things on Grandma’s shopping list, more or less. He didn’t remember walking home. 

He only pulled out of his disassociation when Aryll asked him where he was. Oh, right. Town. He couldn’t look at Ravio’s face, the concern on the man’s face too intense to handle right then. Later. He’ll think later.

But now, he was here, in his room with Aryll’s toys and Ravio’s clothes. No crowds. No small talk. Just him… And a sister and boyfriend in the next room that needed to know he was fine. He ran his fingers through his still wet hair, checking himself in the mirror before he opened the door and walked into the living room. Ravio’s eyes caught his and he gave a small smile. 

“Sorry, it was kind of a weird day,” Link said, slumping onto the couch. His boyfriend stood from his spot next to his sister, who was still busy sketching, and sat next to him.

“Don’t be sorry,” Rav’s arm linked around his as leaned his head on Link’s shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, save the sounds of rustling paper and squeaking markers from the floor.

“So,” Ravio ran his fingers across Link’s forearm as he spoke, “Hilda called this morning while you were out. She said to tell you she said ‘hi’ so,” he waited for the blond to look at him, “Hilda says ‘hi’.” 

Blue eyes rolled slightly and a hint of a smile cracked at his lips. Rav tried again, aiming for a real one. “When I asked her to give a full report on Sheerow, she told me he was ‘fine’ and I told her she was the worst nanny in the world. Can you believe that? Who gives that as a response when someone asks about their baby? Is he eating all his veggies, Hil? Is his sleeping schedule regular? Like, give me more to work with! I wonder if he misses me too much. I worry. I gotta call her back later.”

“Who’s Sheerow?” Aryll put down her marker as the idea of an actual human baby in the boys’ care struck her hard.

“Oh, my cockatoo! Here,” he pulled out his phone, arms pulling away from Link, “I have pictures of him. Wanna see?”

They were both quick to move over as Aryll swung her body onto the couch in a speed that only an ecstatic ten year old could muster. Ravio chuckled as he made room for her between him and her brother, finding the best images of his feathered friend. Link closed his eyes and leaned his head back, letting the two go into a titter as they looked over the photos and short videos of the man’s ‘child’. He knew Rav had about a million; he couldn’t recall a day the Lorulean _didn’t_ have his camera open and fawning over the bird.

“Ooh, he’s so cool! Is he wearing a hat in that one?” 

“Yes! Isn’t it cute? I made it myself, he’s so handsome with it.” 

“So cute!! Aw man, I wanna bird, too! I should ask Grandma,” Aryll’s eyes seemed to sparkle as she thought about a new pet and Ravio couldn’t help but beam his own smile at her.

“Oh, no. No, no. Absolutely not.” Link’s eyes snapped open, “Remember Mr. Gillington the Third? Or the first and the second, for that matter?”

“Who?” Ravio asked as Aryll rolled her eyes and groaned, slumping against the cushions.

“The fish that she insisted she needed. She also said that she could handle taking care of them,” he crossed his arms, “but who _actually_ fed them and cleaned their tank and spend his _entire_ summer job pay check on supplies?”

“That’s different! Birds aren’t fish!” She snapped back.

“Birds are even more hands on than fish, Aryll.”

“ _You’re_ a fish! Smelly and gross!” She threw her hands up as she screeched at him.

“Takes one to know one, you trout,” he shot back.

“Trout? _Trout_!? You _wish_ you were a trout, you blabbering blob fish!” 

“Big mouth bass.” 

“Stinky eel man!”

There was a pause. 

“…Stinky eel man?” 

Link raised an eyebrow. His sister crossed her arms across her chest and nodded. Rav wasn’t sure what exactly was happening: as an only child, he didn’t usually encounter siblings fighting, if that’s what this was. He was familiar with fighting, sure, but he wasn’t sure if that’s what he was witnessing. Aryll puffed out her cheeks as she glared at her brother who was starting to grin. 

“I’m sure there are worst things to be,” Link shrugged, “Like being a nasty pig sty fly. Actually,” he put his hand on his chin, “do eel men have arms?”

“No, they’re eels.” Aryll sat crosslegged on the sofa now, her hands on her lap and a heavy contemplative tone in her voice.

“What makes the ‘man’ part then? Just that they’re not lady eels? Kind of weird to emphasize that, I feel.” 

“Maybe their heads are people heads, but the rest is just eel.” 

Ravio was definitely lost. 

“Yeah, then I wouldn’t want to be an eel man. It seems pretty inconvenient.” 

_Link seems to be putting a lot of thought into this_ , Rav mused, _maybe too much_.

“Well, what if you had the body of an _electric_ eel? They’re pretty cool.” Aryll slid off the sofa and grabbed some her art supplies again, her mind racing as she sorted out her pencils, “but your hair might get all static-y.”

“Not if I lived in the water. Here, move over.” He sat next to his sister and took one of her pens and a page, “There must be better fish to be. What do you think?”

Rav watched as the two discussed aquatic life and the perks and disadvantages of a shark centered humanoid verses a salmon centered one. Link was drawing rough diagrams up as Aryll drew everything that came to her mind, talking it out as she did. The two Hylians were one and the same and Ravio couldn’t help but wonder if this was what his lover was like as a child. He watched them as an outsider, letting his mind wonder to places he’s never thought of before. He loved the feeing of their family and the happiness that their little clan seemed to radiate. He’s chest swelled with pride as he realized he was now apart of it. It wasn’t until Ar asked what was the difference between a sea lion and a regular ol’ seal that he joined them on the floor.

——

Dinner that night was boisterous. Ravio did a spot on expression of Link when he’s confused that made both relatives cry with laughter. Link tried to defend himself, his voice cracking ever so slightly, only making them laugh harder. Grandma was more than happy to hear about all the new ideas Aryll had about fish people, only interrupting once to ask her what a ‘Zora’ was again. 

By the end of the meal, Ravio was singing with Ar, a song about waking up with seagulls, as they cleared the table. Grandma had Link help her with the dishes in the kitchen as Aryll made Rav follow along in a dance in the living room, both of them giggling like drunk koroks. 

“He’s a very special man, Link,” the old woman said as she wetted a rag.

He smiled, scrubbing a pan, “Yeah, he’s definitely one of a kind.”

“Oh, yes, he’s definitely is. I don’t think I’ve seen you this happy since you were a child. It takes a unique type of love to do that, you know.”

Link’s ears pinked. “Yeah, I guess it does.”

“Do you think he’s the one?”

He stopped mid scrub and looked at her. Her hands were clasped in front of her chest, the sweetest smile on her lips. It was an honest question. A simple question. So he gave her a simple answer. An honest answer.

“Yes, Gran, I do.”

She let out a chuckle as she hugged him close to her. “That’s wonderful! Oh, I’m so happy, sweetie.”

Link smiled as he hugged her back, careful not to get his soapy hands on her dress. She pulled away and looked at him, her small hands cupping his face. 

“Your mother would be so proud of you. You’ve come so far,” she brushed his bangs from his forehead, “I’m so proud of you.” She leaned up and gave him a peck on the forehead. “Go tell your sister it’s passed her bed time. The ‘fairies’ aren’t going to come until she’s asleep, you know.” 

Link gave a small chuckle as he rub his eyes, pushing away the happy tears. “I know, I know.” His cheeks ached from grinning, “save some of those chocolates for the other fairies here.” She gave him a playful smack as he left.

Ravio was a fast learner, much to Aryll’s delight. He didn’t hesitate, either, fully swinging his whole body in dance. A few missteps here and there were quickly recovered from, with him going back to repeat what he missed enough times until he got it. It was simple enough to him, and he loved it. He was spinning her around when Link came in.

“Ar, it’s that time again,” Link said, taking her hand and spinning her himself, “last dance, sunshine.”

“Aw, man! That’s no fair,” she puffed out her cheeks as her brother chuckled.

“Yeah, it is. You know the drill,” he made a vague hand sign as he spoke, one Rav didn’t recognize, and she sighed.

“Okay, okay, fine,” she pulled his hand as she made her way to her room, “but I wanna talk to you. Alone!”

“What? Why?” Link let himself be dragged by his sister to her room with little restraint.

“Because!” She snapped, then turned her head to Ravio, grinned and, using a much sweeter voice, said, “Good night, Ravy!”

He beamed a smile back, “Night! See you in the morning.” 

He stretched his arms above his head and yawned. Was it really that late? Now alone in the room, he was no longer distracted by the rumpus, and exhaustion tickled at his bones. Deciding now was a good as time as any, he went about and got ready for bed himself.

——

When Ravio returned to the bedroom after his shower, Link was already on the bed in his shorts. He sat crosslegged with the wrappers of the candy rupees in a neat pile next to the ones he had yet to devour. He had chocolate on his lips.

“So, is this house safe from you, Mr. Moblin?” Rav teased as he walked over to the dresser to get his pajamas.

“For the most part. They're store brand, but I’ll survive,” he licked his lips and popped another one in his mouth.

“So selfless,” now with bunny patterned plush pj pants on, Rav collected the wrappers off the sheets, “by the looks of it, you forced yourself to eat so many out of the goodness of your heart! Surely not because of lack of restraint.” 

Link grinned wildly, already unwrapping another one, “But, of course. Would you like one? If only to lighten my burden I have to bear as the designated candy consumer?”

Rav sat next to him and sighed dramatically. “Alas, I am in no way worthy of taking this sacred task at hand. However,” he took the rupee that Link had halfway to his mouth, “I shall try.” He giggled as he ate it.

Oh. Link was right. They were store brand.

“Mm, but I fear that’s all I can muster up the strength to do.” He got up and grabbed a tissue, spitting the cheap crap out in the nicest way he could.

Link chuckled, moving the tiny pile of unwrapped sweets to the nightstand. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” 

“Yuck,” he raked the tissue across his tongue, trying to get the last of the strange chalky taste off of it. “I do have a question, though.”

Link hummed as he leaned his head on the pillow.

“What was that sign you did to Aryll? When you told her to sleep?”

“Oh, it was just ‘Faroreday’. Here,” he sat up and leaned against the backboard as Ravio climbed onto the bed, “it’s just ‘wind’,” he swayed his open hands rhythmically, “‘courage’,” he clutched his fists and brought them down, “and ‘festival’,” he raised his fists loosely and shook them at shoulder level as if waving small flags, “I usually only have to use one hand to get my point across to her, though.”

“That makes sense,” Ravio said as he copied the movements repetitively until he got it. Link hummed again and slid back down to the pillows. The Lorulean crawled over and snuggled into his shoulder, pulling the blankets up to his chest. “This is so wonderful. Thank you…” 

The blond ran his fingers slowly through raven hair and kissed his forehead. “For what?”

“For letting me in, I guess,” Rav’s eye lids were heavy and his mind wasn’t at optimal performance. Words later, sleep now. 

“Of course,” Link wrapped his arms around him and pulled him to his chest, “I love you, Bunny.” 

Ravio let out a half breath, half laugh, sleep calling his name as he listened to Link’s heart beat and steady breathing.

“And I love you, Mr. Hero.”

——

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is short but I'll make it up to ya'll :V
> 
> Next chapter is the last one! And the actual ~festivities~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, I said it would be 3 chapters but this one isn't the end! I have (hopefully) just one more after this one.
> 
> Also, I never stated it before, but Link and Ayrll's surname is Wilde.

Sunlight streamed in through the curtains and gently danced on Link’s face as he woke. He scrunched his nose and groaned softly, covering his eyes with his arm. Ravio stirred in his sleep, snuggling his face into the blond’s neck. Link laid there for a bit, enjoying the gentle snores and warm breath of his lover. Outside, birds twittered and sang and a rising hum of cicadas joined. 

_This is what heaven must be like,_ he thought, closing his eyes again and smiling.

Heavy running footsteps in the hall reminded him where he was. He hardly had time to shake Ravio awake before Aryll barreled into the room, door hitting the wall as it flung open.

“Joyous Faroreday!” 

Link grumbled and scrubbed his face with his hands as Rav hissed something rude into his shoulder, still half asleep.

“Good morning, Aryll,” the blond monotoned, “care to give us some time to get up?”

“Pssh, it’s already 7, big brother! Grandma said I had to give you an extra hour this year because you have Ravy here.”

“Seven…?” Rav hissed again as he rolled over and tucked his head under the blanket. Link glanced at the clock on the wall, squinting to see it with hazy sleep still in his eyes.

“Actually, it’s 6:54. We still have six minutes,” he narrowed his eyes at his little sister.

“Yeah, but six minutes is hardly anythin-“

“Give us ten. We’ll see you in the kitchen.”

“Ten!? But that’s more than si-“

“Interest rates. Get out.”

She huffed and turned out of the room, slamming the door as she left. Link gave a deep sigh and sat up, stretching. 

“C’mon, bunny,” he leaned down and gently pulled the quilt off, ruffling his dark hair a bit for good measure, “time to greet the day.”

“Fuck off,” he grumbled, words muffled by the pillow. Link chuckled and kissed his head.

“I’m going to get dressed and go down for breakfast. If Aryll doesn’t see you with me, you’ll be in a heap of trouble with her.”

He turned his head just enough to look at the blond with one squinted eye. He silently weighted the pros and cons of ignoring him: on the one hand, he was in a warm bed with sleep still heavy on his mind, on the other, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know what Aryll would do if he disappointed her. He groaned and shoved his face into the pillow again. 

“Fine.”

Link smiled and kissed his head again, thanking him as he got up to start his day.

——

The morning was less exciting than the preteen’s morning wake up implied. The bowl was empty of candies (surprise) and Aryll made no small fuss about it. All of breakfast consisted of her talking with her mouth full of eggs and toast and both her relatives reminding her to sit down as she talked nonstop about stray fairies. Ravio was starting to see why Link said she was “a lot” for most people.

Around lunch time Grandma asked Rav to help her make Spirit Orbs: paper lanterns that would be lit for the festival that night. She helped him make his first one, talking him through it with the patience of a saint. By the fifth one, she felt he was getting the hang of it and focused on making her own. They chatted as they worked. She told him about her friends and her garden and he told her about Hilda, Sheerow, and the shop he worked at.

“… And so when the local theaters need, say, a magic staff, they would come to us. I made a few of the instruments they used in ‘The Wind Fish’s Awakening’ when they performed it in Eldin.”

“Oh, how wonderful! I saw that play back when it first opened in Windfall. Very sad ending though…’

“To be honest, I’m still not sure if they meant her to turn into a seagull as a metaphor or— Oh! Is that your Waker of the Wind’s outfit?” 

Grandma looked over to the doorway that drew Ravio’s attention. Aryll stood with a huge grin on her face, spinning to show off her costume. She was in white leggings and a green dress with a leather belt looped around her middle, a gold medallion securing the ends together. 

“Do you like it?” She asked, giggling as she struck a pose.

“Yeah! You look ready to beat up some chuchus in that!”

“She’s passed chuchu level, get her some wizzrobes,” Link said as he walked in behind her, a wooden shield and sword in his arms and a cheeky grin on his face.

“Oh, my,” Grandma smiled as she stood to get a better look, “You look beautiful! Where’s your hat though?”

Link made a face as Aryll let out an over-the-top sigh. 

“Grandmother, I am far too old to be wearing a sock on my head.”

A light smack upside the head made her apologize and glare at her brother.

“I think maybe it’s just too hot to wear it,” Link said, trying to save his sister from a full on tantrum. Grandma’s tight frown made him quickly add on, “Maybe we should just get it for the pictures though!”

The old woman lit up as she shuffled out of the room to grab the missing piece of the ensemble. Rav shuffled with the pile of papers next to him, pulling more out to craft another lantern. 

“Why’re you so worked up over a hat? Aren’t the other kids gunna have hats, too?” He licked his fingers to get a better grip on the parchment.

“Yeah, we have this conversation every year, but…” Link trailed off.

“It’s old and smelly and gross and I hate it,” Aryll huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

“It’s not that bad, Trout,” Link said, rolling his eyes, “it’s the same hat I wore when I was a kid.”

Ravio’s ears perked up. “Oh? Did you wear the dress, too?”

Link looked like he was about to say something when Grandma returned holding a green bag. Aryll’s face twisted in disgust. 

“Just for the pictures,” Link reminded her. 

Grandma gestured to the chair and Ar sat again, having to lean down a bit so her gran could fit the bag, er, hat, on her head. Rav bit his lip to keep a giggle in.

“See? You look wonderful!” Grandma clasped her hands together and gave a smile so genuine Aryll couldn’t help but nod. She took the shield and sword from her brother and slumped towards the wall. Link pulled out his phone for photos and after about five minutes of trying to get the ten year-old to _not_ look like she was in a mug shot, let her take off the hat. She grumbled a thanks and scratched at her scalp. 

“It’s really not that bad,” Rav said, standing up and taking it from Link’s hands, “In fact, it’s kind of cute.” 

Aryll’s eyes widened. The Lorulean pulled it over his dark locks and pulled out his own phone to use as a mirror. He adjusted it and fluffed his fringe, perfect for covering the front part of the seams. 

“Wow, you’re right. It sure is cute,” Link said, grinning again. Aryll huffed.

“If you’re not going to wear this amazing hat, you mind if I do? I mean, it doesn’t go with my outfit, but…” Rav looked at her and smiled sweetly. 

“No! It’s my hat. I have to be the Wind Waker and I need the hat to do it!” 

“Oh, you got a point. I bet the Great Fairies would like that better anyway. The whole shebang, right? Can’t leave this out,” Rav said, taking the hat off and putting it over her braids. He fluffed out her bangs and brushed her stray looks to the side of her face. He gave her a huge grin. “Beautiful!”

“Of course! I am the Hero of the Great Sea, I have to be,” she held her chin up and smirked. 

“I didn’t know that was a requirement for being a hero,” Link teased.

“It is now,” she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Yeah, Link. The Breaker of Winds here knows where it’s at,” Rav said, chuckling as Aryll scoffed at him for having the audacity of making a fart joke at her expense.

“Now, now, children,” Grandma said, patting Link on the arm and nodding to the Spirit Orbs, “I hate to interrupt your jocularity but we have to get going if we want to get these to the priestesses on time.”

“Yes, ma’am,” they said in unison.

——

The fairgrounds stretched from the middle of the market place all the way out to the tip of the piers. Grandma send them off to enjoy themselves after they helped her string the lights for the goddess statues. Ravio was about to offer more help when the siblings grabbed his arms to pull him away, knowing all too well the priestesses would take advantage of his offer. Those ladies never want just one simple thing, it’s always ‘go here to get this to hand it to this person so they can give you something for someone else’ and so on and so on. If they were going to get to the fair at all, they would have to avoid any chores or errands the women would saddle them with.

The celebration was loud and bright, even in the twilight hours as the sun sunk into the far side of the Great Sea. There were vendors, game booths, rides and food trucks every where Ravio looked, his head swiveling to take it all in. The smells of roasted nuts and candied apples dipped in caramel mixed with the scent of fried fish and smoked steak. Screams and shrieks of laughter came from the fast spinning rides and thumping music came from the piers. Link tapped on Rav’s hand, trying to make sure he didn’t get separated from himself and Aryll, the latter already trying to tug them off to the carnival rides. 

“Isn’t this great?!” Ar turned to Rav, beaming her sunshine smile up at him that he couldn’t resist mirroring, “What ride can we go on first? The spinning cups? The whip? Oh! I wanna try the high diver!” 

She pointed to a gargantuan tower of a machine with steel cages that swung around as they shot up only to have them stop at the ride’s zenith. There was a pause and then, to Ravio’s horror, the cages plummeted, free falling as the riders screamed, and were caught as they barely touched the safety nets. His stomach was in his shoes. 

“Y-you sure you d-don’t want something a little less, uh,” he searched for the right word as Link gave him a knowing smirk.

“Fun?” He offered, unhelpfully.

“Petrifying, I was more going for. Not everyone thinks almost falling to their death is entertainment.”

“Right, right,” Link nodded, his grin not putting his boyfriend at ease, like a cat that had found a canary.

“Oh, Ravy! Don’t tell me you only go on _baby_ rides?” Aryll gave an exasperated groan as she made a show of rolling her eyes.

“Now, now, dearest sister, my lovely boy here is not a baby,” Link pouted at Ar but mirth was in his eyes. She tilted her head at him. Rav waited for the other shoe to drop.

“Just a cucoo.”

Ah, there it was. 

“Yeah? And what’s wrong with that?! These things are death traps built by demons and reconstructed in a day after being hauled out in pieces! I highly doubt the carnies have the engineering skills of even a novice. These atrocities are the _opposite_ of safe! Gods, and you two are making fun of me? You can put your life in the hands of rusted belts and flimsy cords, but I have more self preservation and respect for my own well-being, thank you very much.”

The two blondes couldn’t keep in their giggles as he went on. He figured it was a lost cause and crossed his arms, finishing his rant with a huff. Link kissed his nose.

“I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to, my baby bunny.” 

“Thank you. Sorry I’m not like my big brave boy.” Ravio gave him a peck on the cheek, causing a pink blush to ghost across the skin under it.

Aryll stuck out her tongue and made a gagging noise. “You guys are so gross! Get a room!”

Link barked out a laugh as Rav’s face turned red and looked away. 

“Oh, ho ho! You don’t know gross, Trout.” He took Rav’s face in his hands before the other could react and made a show of kissing him deeply, making dramatic, over the top noises as he did. The Lorulean’s core temperature sky rocked faster than the steel cages above them.

“Eeew! Link, stooooop!” Ar covered her eyes and laughed. Link pulled away and licked his lips, grinning wildly at his boyfriend with triumphant gleam in his eyes. Ravio’s face was beet red and his mouth was still slight ajar.

“Anyway,” Link interlocked his fingers with Rav’s as he turned back to Aryll, “I’ll go on the rides with you if you promise not to pester Ravio about his lack of…enthusiasm towards them. Or else more mushy-gushy love will happen.” 

“Yuck! Sure, sure, it’s a deal,” she said, nodding furiously, “do you like games, though?”

Ravio’s mind was still recovering from the blond’s power move to even register that she asked him a question. What just happened? Oh right, Link’s tongue was in his mouth. In front of his little sister. In the middle of a crowd. His _tongue_ was _in_ his _mouth_. Link’s _tongue._ The same tongue that was used to tell him ‘no’ at any slight intimacy he suggested this entire trip was just trying to get down his throat. And in the worst setting! And then it was gone?!

“Ravy?”

“Uh,” he blinked as Ar looked up at him, waiting for an answer, “Games are cool, yeah.”

“Awesome! C’mon! I wanna win that green bear!” She bounced on her feet as she started for the first booth of the night, a classic ‘throw a ball and knock stuff down’ set up. When she was far enough from ear shot, Link leaned over to him.

“Sorry, I should have warned you,” he gave a sheepish smile, shrugging.

“You never did that before,” Ravio said, an octave up from his normal voice without meaning to.

“What? Kiss you like that? Yes, I have. Loads of times.”

“N-not recently I mean! Or in public!”

Link just shrugged again, looking away and making his way to Ar. 

“Sorry, won’t happen again.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Ravio said too quickly and let out a laugh that was louder than intended, “I was just surprised, that’s all.”

Link stopped and glanced back at him. His blue eyes were half lidded and coy smile was on his lips, “I’m full of surprises, bunny. How else could I keep you on your toes,” he leaned over, his breath hot on Rav’s ear as he whispered in a husky voice that the Lorulean ever heard at night, “and in my bed?”

_What!?_ _Where was this coming from!? What a horrid tease!_ He was sure his face redder than a tomato as he dumbly followed the blond, trying to think of cleaner thoughts as they approached the game booth. Another scream from the steel cages and he was back to reality. 

—

“Oh, too bad! You couldn’t hit _any_ of them. But hey, you get this nifty pin for trying!”

Aryll nearly growled at the game emcee when he handed her the plastic button. Link patted her shoulder and coaxed her away before she could yell at the poor man. Or bite him, which she suggested by bearing her teeth.

“They’re rigged anyway, Ar. No one can actually win,” Link said, shrugging. 

The bells chimed and whistles blew as another game was won and a huge stuffed animal was handed over to the victor. The ten-year-old’s death glare made both men in her presence grimace.

“Uh, well, maybe that guy was just a jerk. I’ll win you the bear from that booth, okay?” He pointed to a dart throwing game, rubber balloons popping as kids whooped and cheered. 

“Okay!” She grabbed his hand and pulled him to it.

With in minutes, Link was handed the same plastic button. Ravio stifled his laugh with his hand. Aryll groaned.

“Let’s try a different game,” Link said, a similar growl in his voice as his sister’s pervious one.

Three more games, three more plastic pins. 

They shot down Ravio’s suggestion to do something else and forget the plush prize as soon as he said it. ‘Determination’ and ‘a Wilde never gives up’ was among the many things out of the Hyrulean siblings’ mouths as they yelled over each other in a two-on-one argument that they already won. 

Rav sighed as he counted the remaining cash in his pocket. If they wanted to save the rest of the rupees for food and other things, they had just enough for one more game. It would take a miracle to get that stupid bear.

The sound of shattering plates drew his gaze up to the last booth of that row. A player had a small riffle that he haphazardly aimed at moving dishes and shot at, missing all of them. The emcee chuckled and handed him a pin, telling him he’d have better luck next time. Ravio smirked and strolled over. The blond duo followed quickly at his heels, both asking him what he was doing.

“Howdy! You think you got what it takes to be a sharp-shooter there, son? If you hit three of these here targets, you win big! You get five bullets, twenty rupees!” The carnie waved his hands as he spoke, his fake accent as bad as his acting.

“What do I get if I hit five then?” Rav said as he put a red down. The man scoffed.

“Dude, if you can hit five targets with five bullets, you can have _any_ prize you want,” He slipped out of character in his skepticism, rolling his eyes. 

“Deal.” 

“Rav,” Link started as his boyfriend picked up the firearm, “I don’t think-“

Ravio cocked the small gun with a _cu-clunk_ and aimed at the first clay. He pulled the trigger and with a short _pop!,_ it shattered the plate.

Aryll, Link, and the carnie froze, eyes wide and mouth agape.

_Cu-clunk. Pop! Ksssh!_

_Cu-clunk. Pop! Ksssh!_

_Cu-clunk. Pop! Ksssh!_

_Cu-clunk. Pop! Ksssh!_

There was no bells or whistles as the carnie looked at the Lorulean instead of hitting the power button on his sound machine. A giggle bubbled up in Aryll’s chest and Link gaped like a fish on land. Ravio just smiled as he placed the riffle down on the counter and held out his hands.

“That huge green bear, please.”

With the plush in a death grip, Aryll squealed and thanked Rav a million times. Link grabbed his hand, confusion written all over his face.

“Where the hell did you learn to shoot a gun?!” 

Rav smirked and rolled his eyes.

“You’re not the only one full of surprises, Mr. Hero.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ravio is a prop designer and crafter for entertainment places like movies and theatre because I feel that makes the most sense for this AU. 
> 
> (Also, this might just be an American carnival game with the shooting plates or clay pigeons but they had the shooting galleries in the games so ya'll should know the premise, right?)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, there will be sad feelings in this one- sorry in advance

Aryll threw her legs over the side of the dock as she plopped down on the edge, biting a large chunk off her fried banana. Link sat beside her and let his feet dangle down as well. Ravio sat crosslegged next to them, handing Link a paper cup of fish and chips as he nibbled on his own. The blond thanked him as he flipped out his phone, checking his texts.

“Gram says she’s coming to pick you up, Ar,” he said, picking a fry out of his cup with his mouth and continuing as he chewed, “‘m she said she’s gunna drive you to the Temple for the ceremony and dance.”

Aryll made a face as Ravio scolded him for talking with his mouth full.

“Are you going, too?” She asked.

“Maybe later,” Link said, shrugging and putting his phone away, “parties aren’t my forte.” 

“Can I stay with you two instead?” 

Rav was about to say yes, a sucker falling into the trap that was Aryll’s innocent, pleading eyes, when Link shot her down.

“No way,” he said, shaking his head, “I need you to go with Grandma. We had a deal.”

She let out a loud sigh, slumping her shoulders. “You’re no fun!”

“I’m plenty fun!” He snapped back, “Who just spent the day with you playing games, buying you food, and going on rides?”

“And won you all those cute little pins?” Ravio chimed in with a wink, causing a giggle from the little girl.

“Right,” Link said, trying not to sound bitter about the not so subtle reminder of his losses, “Plus…,” he looked over to Aryll, locking eyes with her. He gave her a look that was a fair warning that he was about to poke fun at her.

“Plus what?” She asked cautiously, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Joel will be there,” he answered, pouting his lips in such a mocking way. Her face turned pink.

“Ooooh,” Ravio sang out, “Who’s Joel?”

“No one!” Ary yelped.

“Aryll’s boyfriend,” Link teased.

“He is NOT!” She shrieked.

“Oh, my bad,” he shrugged, “Future husband, sorry.”

“Link!!”

The boys laughed as she gave weak punches to her brother’s arm. They continued like that for a while, eating and joking with each other, as the sun sank deep under the tides and the stars flickered above. True to her word, Grandma came and picked up Aryll, thanking Link and Ravio as the former shoved the giant bear into the back seat.

“I’m so glad you all had fun,” she said as she smiled wide, “but please don’t win any more prizes that are bigger than me. I’m an old woman you know, and things that are that big tend to give me a fright.”

The siblings snickered as Ravio turned red and started to apologize, saying it didn’t even cross his mind. She only chuckled and patted his hand, assuring him that she was just jesting. Link took Aryll’s arm and nodded to her sword, muttering something Ravio couldn’t make out. The siblings where on the side of the parking lot with it and the wooden shield within seconds. Grandma smiled up at Rav, drawing his attention away from the Wilde children.

“Thank you, by the way,” the old woman said, touching this hand, “for getting my granddaughter to wear the cap this morning.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Ravio said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, “It was no big deal, honest.”

“You don’t understand,” she replied with a tired smile, “it may seem like a silly old hat to her, but I made it for her mother when she was a child. You made this old lady very happy,” she chuckled and patted his hand again.

Ravio’s face flushed and he gave a small laugh.

“I didn’t even know,” he said, flustered, “but I’m glad I could help.”

“More than you know, son,” she said, giving his hand a slight squeeze. His chest flared up with joy as he grinned at her.

A loud clack of wood against wood sent both of them whipping their heads towards the blonds. Aryll stood on Link’s shoulders with the sword held skyward, the shield fallen to the ground. A gaggle of small children were gathered around them, awestricken and clapping. In a loud voice, Ar proclaimed evil will tremble before her. She jumped from her brother’s shoulders and flipped forward to the concrete. Rav and Grandma made the same small gasp of panic as she did, and both sighed in relief as she stuck the landing. Link and the children cheered.

“Oh, for the love of Hylia…” the elder grumbled as she held her hand to her chest, “All these years and they still find ways to give me near heart attacks.”

Ravio hummed in agreement, feeling his own heartbeat return to normal.

——

After successfully shooing the little kids away back to their parents, the siblings returned with wide grins. Grandma just shook her head with an exhausted smile. Short good-byes were given and the soon the car was pulling away. When they were finally alone, Link grabbed Ravio’s hand and tugged him towards the beach.

“C’mon, I wanna show you something,” he whispered to him with a sly grin.

Ravio let himself be pulled to the shores and away from the crowds. He played back the conversation he had with Link’s grandmother on repeat, looping it from the end back to the beginning and then over again. Link’s and Aryll’s mom must of been her daughter, without a doubt- and she was no long among the living given the somber tone of the old lady and her obvious absence.

He was pulled from his thoughts when the duo stepped under the docks, the wooden pier high above them. They were surrounded by the sweet aroma of jasmine and moon flowers, both flora danced patterns around the scaffolding with their twisting and twirling vines. Round paper lanterns, like the Spirit Orbs he made with Grandma, were strung up and wrapped around the beams, intertwining with the flowers and illuminating the sands in soft purple light. They were far enough away from the chaos and the crowds that all noise was drowned out by distance, leaving only the smooth lapping of the waves on the shore. Every now and then a firefly would glow yellow then fade away into the darkness. 

Ravio’s grip on Link’s hand tightened as he gave a small gasp. The blond turned to him, eyes glimmering in the lantern light, with a soft smile on his lips. 

“Link, this is gorgeous,” he whispered, as if his voice alone would scare away the beautiful scene.

The Hylian smiled wider and took both of Rav’s hands in his.

“I’m glad you like it. Those paper lights are really annoying to make,” he said, laughing slightly.

“You,” Ravio started, paused to look around at the dozens of lights that hung around them, “you made all of these yourself?”

Link laughed quietly again as he looked down, “I had some help. Aryll’s not very good at keeping secrets so it’s no small miracle she didn’t ruin the surprise.” 

Ravio quickly wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and buried his face into his shoulder. The blond stilled at the sudden movement before relaxing and returning his hug. The Lorulean said something, words muffled by Link’s body.

“What was that?” 

“I said,” Rav pulled away slightly from him, eyes wet and nose starting to run, “that this is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me.”

Link studied him carefully, not sure if this was a ‘puppy too cute’ cry or a ‘I’m very upset because of something’ cry. Ravio hiccuped and leaned his head onto his shoulder again.

“Thank you, Mr. Hero,” he dreamily sighed.

Link let out a breath he didn’t know was caught. Good, he was ’puppy too cute’ crying. He held Ravio until he regained his composure, finally pulling away and clearing his throat as if he didn’t just sob a wet stain onto Link’s shirt.

“You’re so wonderful, Link,” he said, eyes half-lidded and a content smile pulling at his lips, “what did I do to deserve you?”

Link chuckled and kissed his forehead, “Good question. I am pretty great.”

Ravio scoffed theatrically, “And modest, too.”

“Humble as a nun,” he agreed, nodding.

They laughed as Link leaned his forehead against Ravio’s, soaking in their merriment. Kisses were exchanged in abundance, arms locked around each other and murmurs of sweet words and praises whispered to each other between locked lips. Before long, Link was pressed against a pillar with Ravio’s hands traveling down his hips, mouth on his jaw and sending a trail of not-so-innocent smooches down his neck.

“Oy! What do you two think you’re doing over here?” 

Both men stilled, faces blanching as a flashlight swept over them. A police officer with a stiff mustache glowered at them as they Ravio peeled himself away from his lover, his hands still on Link’s hips. 

“You can’t be down here,” the mustache bobbed up and down as he ordered them to vacate the area. “If I wasn’t in a forgiving mood, I could ticket you boys for public indecency.”

Ravio scoffed, rolling his eyes. “It’s not like we were actually _doing_ anything,” he grumbled, “I didn’t even get his pants off yet, you old-“

“We’re sorry, Officer,” Link’s voice was tight, “We’re leaving now.”

The cop gave a curt nod and sent once last glare at the Lorulean. Link grabbed his boyfriend’s hand as he walked away, his fingers twitching against his. When they were far enough away, Ravio spoke up.

“I can’t believe that guy! Treating us like we were two horny teenagers necking,” he shook his head in disgust, “it’s not even like we were doing anything lewd,” he repeated.

Link didn’t respond.

“Is it too much to ask for some privacy? You worked so hard on that spot by the sound of it, I can’t believe he just…” he turned to the blond as he felt his hand pull away, “the flashlight was completely unnecessary, too. Can you imagine doing that to a person? Just blind me next time, why don’t cha?” 

Link’s hands raised. Rav pursed his lips.

_“It’s fine,”_ was signed.

Ravio let out a long breath and turned away. Link tapped his shoulder to make him look at him again.

“ _Let’s go for a walk. You need to calm down.”_

“Are you telling me or yourself?” 

His blue eyes looked to the water and Rav felt his heart sink.

“ _Both, I guess.”_

Ravio took Link’s hand in his and gave him a reassuring smile.

“Hey, it could of been way worse,” he said, “It was just embarrassing, that’s all. Not the end of the world.”

Link gave a small sigh and nodded. They walk along the shore with their fingers intertwined. Ravio gave a small hum after a while and glanced at the blond.

“So, you never answered my question from this afternoon,” he mused aloud.

Link gave him a side eye.

“When you said the hat was the same one you wore as a kid,” he clarified.

“What about it,” Link asked, more of a flat statement then a question.

“Did you have to wear the same dress, too?” A cheeky grin was on the Lorulean’s face and the Hylian rolled his eyes.

“It’s a _tunic_ , and yes, I wore the same one.”

“Oh, sure, sure,” Ravio said, nodding, “and I’m sure this dress, er, tunic, looked pretty fetching on you. I bet your gran has pictures, no?”

“Are you asking for my baby pictures, you creep?” Link asked, his own grin spreading across his face.

“Creep? No, no, I’m merely just inquiring about the island’s traditions and your involvement with it,” he said, feigning the tone of intellectual scholar.

Link chuckled and shook his head, blond locks falling over his face before he swept them behind his ear.

“Unfortunately no pictures, Bunny. We may have one or two but I have no idea where they are if we even have them.”

Ravio raised his eyebrows in surprise. 

“Really? I figured you would have tons. Where you a camera shy kid?” He was only half joking.

Link shook his head again, his smile dimming slightly.

“Nah. There was plenty of pictures taken of me when I was a kid, we just don’t have them anymore.”

“Why not?” 

Link’s smile was gone then, his brow furrowed in thought. Ravio almost told him to forget it, to not worry about it, so that they could have the light hearted atmosphere back that suddenly grew too heavy again.

“When I was about fifteen, our house burned down,” he said flatly, “we lost everything.”

Ravio didn’t notice they stopped walking, watching his lover go through memories in his head. They were silent again and Rav tried to find what to say, coming up blank as he opened his mouth only to close it again.

“That’s why we lived with Gran,” he said, a sad smile on his face, “I know you were wondering why, so,” he trailed off and looked to the water again.

“Oh,” was all Ravio could manage. Link nodded silently.

They started quietly walking again, Link lost in contemplation and Ravio searching for a topic to talk about. ‘The stars look lovely tonight’ was a choice. ‘How many shells do thing you can carry in one hand?’ was another. However, ’Did your mom die in that fire?’ was the only thought that kept reappearing in his mind, so he clamped his mouth shut to keep it in there.

“You know,” Link said suddenly, “I don’t think going to the dance is that bad of an idea.”

Ravio turned to him, mouth ajar as if Link just grew a second head.

“Have you gone mad? Who are you and what have you done with my party hating boyfriend?”

Link laughed and shook his head, “I know it’s going to be awful, but Aryll will be thrilled.”

Rav had to agree. She was the main reason they were here, after all. 

“Are you sure you’re up for it?” 

“It will take all my strength,” Link said dramatically, hold a hand to his heart, “But in the spirit of Faroreday, I ask the Goddess of the Wind for the Courage to do what’s must be done. ’Tis the right thing to do.”

Ravio bit back a laugh after the blond finished his over-the-top declaration. It was cheesy, but it was true. It was going to suck, but Link’s little sister was worth it.

——

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe I should just rename this "Ravio gets cock-blocked everyday for two weeks"
> 
> Also, not the last chapter again- surprise! I just wanted to give you guys something after almost a month. No promises that the next one will be the end either because, knowing me, it probs won't be
> 
> (side note: should the rating go up if I'm making suggestive scenes? Like T is supposed to be PG-13 right? They aren't actually doin' the dirty but idk)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, babeeey! Have some tooth-rotting fluff for your patience!

Ravio knew the festivities were held in some sort of temple. Temples, he knew, were usually grandiose and, more often than not, old as balls. The Forest Temple definitely fit the bill. The massive building was carved directly into the cliff side, ancient writings etched into the walls, illuminated by purple lights. Thousands of the Spirt Orb lanterns were hung from strings, wrapped around every pillar, and dotted across the pathways. Music flowed freely from the small trio of musicians that were set up in a gazebo, songs that Aryll made a point for Ravio to hear the days prior. Surrounding the small pavilion were long tables with sweets and baked goods, people handing out plates and laughing. The warm smell of cakes and pies wafted through the grounds as friends shared with their neighbors the desserts they had made for the holiday. It was one particular fruit pie table that had Link taking Rav’s hand and leading them through the crowd.

Ravio quickly realized it was not the pastries that drew his boyfriend over, but the woman dishing out said pastries. She was around their age with a fair and freckled face. Auburn hair was pulled into a loose bun as she chatted with an old man that was holding a plate and taking his time scooping out cherries. Link stopped just before her stand, hand leaving Ravio’s.

“Malon?”

The woman, Malon, whipped around to face them, a large costumer service smile plastered on her face. “How can I help you?”

Link laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck as Malon’s face dropped in shock. 

“Link!? I can’t believe” -she darted around the stall and clamped around the blond in a hug- “that you’re here! I have’t seen you in ages! I’ve missed you so much!”

He returned her hug quickly, his nervous laughter bubbling to something more genuine as he buried his face in her shoulder.

“I missed you, too, Malon,” said Link, “I’m sorry I haven’t really been in touch. It’s been hard with-“

“Oh, shush,” she chided, “Don’t you start thinkin’ you have any reason to be sorry. A telephone works both ways, ya know. I’m just so surprised to see you! And _here_ , of all places.”

“Yeah. Crazy, right? I figured, since I’m only really here for a short time, I’d bring Rav to- Oh!” He spun, as if he suddenly remembered he had a boyfriend. “Ravio, this is Malon! She’s my best friend from high school.”

“And middle, elementary, and grammar school,” Malon added, poking him in the ribs.

“Nice to meet you,” Ravio said, shaking her hand.

“Likewise! Ravio, was it?” Malon tilted her head in interest. He nodded. She giggled, holding her hand over her mouth to excuse herself. “I believe you’re the talk of the town. At least, with the children, that is.”

“What do you mean?” Link asked, eyes wide as panic threatened to show.

“Little Miss Aryll’s been talking everyone’s ears off about her ‘new brother’. I assume your nickname is Ravy?” She winked. “Nothin’ but good things, I promise.”

Link let out a sigh, shoulders relaxing. “Oh, right. She hasn’t been bothering you too much, has she?”

Malon laughed, shook her head, and started to talk about her own little sister. Ravio tuned out as he repeated her words in his head. 

_Her new brother. That’s… Really nice, actually. I like that…_

Her let his eyes wonder, scanning the now thinning crowd for the little blonde. Dashes of green let his hopes up, only to be different kids dressed in the same costume. He tore away, unnoticed, from the two reunited friends and made his way through the Temple’s grounds. He weaved past booths and trees until he found a small stone path that led away from the noise. He was only about ten steps in when he saw the wave of yellow hair sticking out of the old cap. 

“Aryll?”

She turned, a wide grin on her face. “Ravio! You came?!” She sprinted over to him and launched into a bone crushing hug. “This is so great! I thought you weren’t coming!”

“Link thought we’d surprise you,” he said, chuckling. 

Aryll pulled away and looked up at him, eyes wide. “Link’s here, too?”

“Yep! He’s over by the red haired lady with cherry pies.”

She grimaced. “Oh,” she grumbled, “Malon?”

“Yes? Is that a problem?”

“We gotta go save her.”

Before he could ask her what she meant, Aryll grabbed his wrist and made a bee line for them.

Ravio only heard the tail end of a sentence before Link and Malon saw them, cutting off whatever the redhead was saying.

“Miss Malon,” Aryll announced, chin up and solemn, “I am terribly sorry, but I will take big brother back now.”

The three adults stared at her, two in confusion and one with a glare only mastered by an older sibling.

“Surely, Little Miss Aryll,” Malon said slowly, “I wasn’t tryin’ to keep ‘em here.”

“Ar,” Link growled, “Why don’t you show Ravio your lookout?”

It was an obvious hint, but Aryll dug her heels in. “Why don’t we _both_ show Ravio the lookout?”

They glowered at each other for a moment, eyes locked in equal challenge. Both spectators shifted awkwardly, not wanting to get caught in the cross fire. But, unlike Malon, Ravio was already pulled in.

“You know, Ar,” Rav intervened cautiously, “I think just you and me could go check it out. What do you say? It’ll be an adventure.”

There was beat, but finally the ten-year-old tore her gaze from her older brother. 

“Fine.”

There was a collective sigh of relief as three pairs of shoulders relaxed. 

“But you better come to the lookout before they send the lights out, Link!” Aryll’s tone left no room for argument. Her brother just shrugged and nodded. Satisfied, Ar grabbed Ravio by the hand and tugged him away, the latter sending a small smile and wave to the others.

“Wow,” Malon said after they disappeared past the tree line, “I’ve never seen Aryll…” She trailed off, seemingly finding a way to say what she thought without being rude.

“Actually listen to someone who’s not my Grandmother?” Link suggested, a wide grin on his face.

She laughed. “You said that, not me. But seriously, that boy must have some kind of charm to get her follow him.”

“He definitely has charm,” Link muttered, grinning like a fool.

Malon’s smile grew as she put her hands on her hips. “Link Wilde, don’t you tell me Mr. Ravio over there has you smitten.”

He barked out a laugh. “He should! He is my boyfriend, after all.”

Her eyes softened as she stood straighter, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why didn’t you say so? That solves the riddle of Aryll’s sudden obedience.”

“Huh?” He tilted his head slightly. “How so?”

She shook her head slightly as if he was a clueless child. “Link, think about it. She’s listening to her big brother’s boyfriend. A person he trusts and loves?”

The blond’s blank stare had her sighing, a smile still on her face.

“I swear,” she said, “You’re still as dim as a day bird, Fairyboy.”

…

Climbing up a ladder was not the biggest deal in Ravio’s opinion. However, an old wooden ladder that was held loosely from a platform 20-feet in the air was more of a deal. He swallowed a lump in his throat as Aryll jumped up, skipping a few rungs here and there as she rocketed to the top.

“Come on, Ravy! It’s fine!”

He stood there staring at the first few rungs, hands shaking at his side while Aryll shouted reassurance down to him. 

_It’s fine. It’ll be fine. They do this all the time. It’s totally safe._

He repeated the words in his mind as he gripped the first rung and pulled himself up.

_It’s fine. It’s fine. It’s fi-_

He was about 10 feet in the air when he heard the wood creak. He froze, knuckles white as he gripped the step.

_This is NOT fine. I’m going to die here. This really is it. I hope this won’t scar Aryll too much. Oh Gods, Link’s gunna be so upset. Their going to have to scrape me off the docks like road kill._

His racing thoughts were not helping. Did he just hear another creak? Was that a cracking noise? Aryll was calling down to him but her words were muffled as his vision started to tunnel out. 

_Any wrong move and the wood with snap and I’ll fall and I won’t survive and if I do I’ll be paralyzed and oh Gods, I’m gunna die, I’m gunna die, I’m gunna-_

“Ravio, just keep climbing! You’re doing great!”

He shifted his eyes down, not daring to move his head lest he lose his balance or worse. Link stared straight back up at him, a large smile on his face. The girl, Malon, was standing next to him, arms crossed but looking up at him with a calm face. 

“Th-the wood is breaking!” He shouted down to them. They were so far away.

“It’s not, Rav! If you want to come down though, you c-“

“How do you know that it’s not breaking?!” He interrupted with a shriek. “You’re all the way down there!”

“Because I’ve climbed that ladder hundreds of times! It’s just noisy!”

“He’s right,” Malon yelled up, “You’re okay! Just focus on the next step!”

Ravio swallowed again, squeezing his eyes tightly as he took a deep breath. 

_Just focus on the next step._

He lifted his leg up slowly, relaxing slightly as he felt the solidness of the peg. He pushed up, grabbing the next rung with a death grip. He took another deep breath and let it out slowly as he climbed two more steps slowly. 

_Just a few more, right?_

He picked up his pace ever so slightly, relaxing only a hair as he focused on his breathing and the feeling of solid wood. His breath hitched when his knuckles hit against a plank.

“You did it!”

Aryll’s voice was _very_ close, getting Ravio to finally open his eyes. He grunted and scrambled up the last steps franticly. He laid face down on the floor of the lookout, out of breath as the adrenaline left his body. Small hands ruffled his hair.

“I’m proud of you,” Ar said, “I thought you were going to chicken out!”

Ravio turned his head slightly to look at her. Her bright blue eyes were enhanced by the lantern light, causing them to almost sparkle. She was grinning, showing all her teeth and the gaps where she lost some. He let out a small laugh, closing his eyes as the child leaned over him. 

_She looks just like him,_ he thought, _I wonder if he sees it, too._

A few seconds past before the other two climbed into the tower. Rav scooted over on his spot on the floor, still too shaken to stand just yet. A warm hand on his cheek had him opening his eyes, though. Link grinned down at him and the previous thought repeated itself in the Lorulean’s head.

“You did great,” the blond whispered, “You didn’t have to, but I’m glad you did.”

Shakily, Rav sat up, leaning his back against the half-wall and curling his knees to his chest. 

“I was half way up anyway,” he grumbled, embarrassment creeping around his ears and cheeks. 

_I really am just a cucco. Getting worked up over something they do all the time. I’m such a freaking coward._

Malon and Aryll were leaning over the edge on the far side of the hut, laughing as the waves crashed below them. They could hear the calls of the gulls and the far off sounds of the gazebo musicians. Link slid down the half-wall to sit next to Rav, silently gazing at his little sister and friend.

“You know,” he said quietly, “Sometimes I can’t believe how brave you are.”

Ravio almost got whiplash with how fast he turned to the Hylian. “What?!”

Link nodded, smiling warmly as his boyfriend looked at him like he grew a second head. “I know how much heights terrify you.”

“That’s not- but that’s the opposite?” He didn’t mean it to come out as a question, but apparently Ravio’s confusion didn’t want it to be a confident answer.

“No, it’s not.” Link intertwined their fingers. “Because you did it anyway. You literally just did the one thing that scares you the most.” He kissed his cheek and leaned his head against his.

Ravio rolled his eyes, letting a small smile sneak its way to his mouth. “Yeah, well, luckily it’s not the _one_ thing that scares me the most. I have plenty more fears where that came from. And besides, Ar would of went right back to you if I didn’t. The point was to let you talk with Melon, right?”

“Malon.”

“That’s what I said.”

Link snorted and shook his head. “So, you climbed over 20 feet on a ladder that you didn’t trust just so I could talk to her?”

Ravio blinked a few times, letting the silence fall between them before answering. 

“Well, yeah.”

It was Link’s turn to fall silent, his lips slightly parted as his eyebrows raised in disbelief. Aryll was shouting down to someone as Malon giggled and waved. The ocean roared below them, the sound of water slamming across rocks drifting up to them like far off thunder. There was sharp note on a fiddle and a fluttering flute and suddenly Aryll’s shouting was directed to them.

“It’s starting! Come on!!”

Ravio smiled, gripping Link’s hand tightly as he tried to stand. The blond shook himself out of his stupor and stood, holding Rav closely as they walked to the other side to join the girls. 

Luckily, the half-wall was thick and solid, giving Ravio the reinforcement he needed to confirm his safety. Link’s hand in his wasn’t too bad eitherl. Ar was basically vibrating with excitement as she leaned over, eyes darting back and forth to catch the first glimpse of light.

During his days-long lessons of the Hyrulean holiday taught by Aryll, Ravio heard about the floating lanterns. They symbolized the ancient Hero of the Wind’s victory over the darkness, multiple small balls of light acting together as one large triumph of evil. There was also some metaphor about guiding stars and wayward souls, but she skimmed over that part, obviously uninterested with it. He listened as Ar went on and on about how it was the best part of the night, how a ‘bazillion’ lights were lit and floated out to sea in airy little hot air balloons. He figured she was exaggerating, given that a ‘bazillion’ was an impossible number of anything. But as the first flickers of white floated up from the docks, his grip on Link’s hand tightened. 

Slowly, like flickering stars, orbs of soft white light drifted upwards. At first, there were only a few dozen, but quickly more and more were let go, easily reaching well over a hundred. Soon, the only thing Ravio could see below them was a sea of light. The waters of the ocean reflected them like glittering diamonds, sending a bright glow up to the four spectators in the lookout. 

A small wayward orb drifted closely to the lookout, bobbing slowly like a bubble. Link leaned over and gently tapped it up, sending it back on course. As soon as his arm returned to his side, a tiny hand grabbed it. He glanced down at Aryll and grinned. Her eyes were wide as she giggled, wiggling a little in pure glee. His other hand was suddenly vacant. He looked at Ravio, about to take his hand back, but hesitated. His heartbeat sped up and his face flushed.

In the enchanting blaze of light, Ravio’s eyes were shining emerald green. His black hair gently swayed in the wind, his lips parted as he stared in awe at the spectacle that surround them. He was silent, his whole body now leaning on the ledge. Another stray lantern floated by lazily and he reached out, his fingers just barely grazing the paper before it gently drifted away. He smiled, his eyes crinkling as he let out a small laugh.

The clouds of light slowly dissipated out to sea, leaving the land in a muted purple glow once more. Ravio turned his head slightly, grinning at Link who was caught staring. Before he could say anything, Aryll squealed in delight.

“That was _amazing_!! They had even more than last year!”

Malon nodded in agreement. “It was pretty spectacular. But now that it’s over, I have to go back and help my dad. Aryll, you want to come with me? We could use some extra hands.”

All of them waited, expecting the tween to protest, to whine and say she wanted to stay. To their surprise, she nodded. 

“Okay,” she said, “I gotta tell my Grandma that Link and Ravy are here anyway.”

Clearly, Malon was expecting a fight. She blinked, taken aback, then smiled. “Alright!”

Aryll gave Link a quick hug and a longer one to Ravio. “I’ll see you guys at home?”

“Y-yeah,” Link stuttered, still recovering from her attitude change, “Tell Grandma we’ll be back before midnight.”

“You better be,” Ar quipped.

Link scoffed as Malon and Ravio giggled. 

After saying their good-byes, the girls descended the ladder and left the two alone. Ravio crossed his arms on the half-wall and rested his chin on them, sighing dreamily. They stood together in comfortable silence as the last of the lanterns disappeared into the night, tiny dots flickering out on the horizon. 

“Rav?” 

Ravio turned slightly to Link, eyes bright with interest. “Yeah?”

The blond cleared his throat, a pink blush dusting his cheeks. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Uh, obviously we’d n-need to talk about it first. I don’t r-really expect an answer right now, just that we, uh…”

He was floundering, hands wringing together as he avoided Ravio’s eyes. The Lorulean furrowed his brow, concern flooding his chest. 

“Link, what’s wrong?”

The Hylian let out a nervous laugh. “Nothing’s _wrong_ , I j-just, uh…” 

He trailed off again, looking at his hands. Ravio cupped his face in his hands and slowly made him look at him.

“Just breathe, Mr. Hero.”

Link’s shoulders relaxed as he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Rav’s thumbs gently rubbed back and forth under his eyes, patiently waiting for his boyfriend to calm down.

“Would you,” Link muttered out slowly, “Stay with me forever?”

Ravio chuckled, face turning red. “I planned to. Is that what you wanted to ask me? Because I’ll always be here, right by your side, until the end of time.”

Gradually, a smile returned to Link’s face, eyes softening as he relaxed. “Good, because I love you more than anything, Ravio. And I want you to be here, with me, forever more.”

The Lorulean giggled, green eyes lighting up with joy. He brought Link’s face to his, his lips just barely touching his. “I love you, too, Mr. Hero.”

They closed the distance as Link captured his lips with his and wrapped his hands around Ravio’s waist. Small hums of pleasure were muffled by their kiss, Ravio’s fingers intertwining into blond locks. Teeth captured his bottom lip gently and he immediately parted his mouth to let Link’s tongue take control. He leaned against the center beam of the lookout and moaned softly, the Hylian’s hands traveling to his hips. After breathless kisses and gentle touches, Link pulled his lips from Ravio’s.

“Uh, I know this might ruin the mood, but we have to go down soon.”

“Oh, Mr Hero, you go down anytime you want. I don’t mind,” Rav breathed, his head still spinning and his eyes half lidded.

Link chuckled. “I mean down from here- the lookout.”

That sobered the Lorulean up in an instant, face turning white. “Oh. Right.”

“You’ll be fine, Bunny. Just one step at a time.”

_Just one step at a time. Right…_

“And besides,” Link added, “I’ll be right here to catch you.”

Ravio snorted despite himself. “Thanks. I’m sure crashing on top of you will totally not result in injury.”

A wild grin spread across the blond’s face. “Never stopped you before.” He laughed as Ravio playfully slapped his shoulder in faux shock.

…

After a long while of trying to descend, Rav finally set his feet on solid ground and immediately collapsed into the Hylian’s arms. If going up was hard, getting down was a _nightmare._

True to their word, the two returned to Grandma’s house before midnight, silently creeping in without a sound. The second the bedroom door closed behind them, Ravio wasted no time undressing. Striped down to his boxers, he climbed into bed without bothering with his fuzzy pajamas. Link snickered quietly, following him under the covers and wrapping his arms around him. He pulled Ravio’s back to his chest and planted a sweet kiss to the back of his head.

“Good night, Bunny,” he whispered in the dark.

His only answer was gentle snores as the Lorulean’s breathing evened out, his body limp in Link’s arms. Smiling, Link nuzzled his face into black hair, letting the slow heart beat of his lover lull him to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Marriage is dumb  
> My brain: But... marriage proposals... are good...  
> Me: Oh shit you right
> 
> Also, tangled, amiright? But seriously, if you ever see a lantern festival, it's MAGICAL.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> READ FIRST!! Major warning for this chapter!!
> 
> For anyone who's had a loved one die in a hospital, I just want you to go into this one a little bit carefully. I used a bit of my own experience with it and may have made it a bit too serious. I know how it feels to accidentally read something so close to home in a mostly silly fic, so I really don't want anyone to do the same with this one. 
> 
> If you want to skip this chapter or if you're just here for the fluff, I wrote a short summary in the end notes. I also marked a spot where you can just skip down after the first half which is purely fluff. 
> 
> With that being said, enjoy!

Sunlight once again trickled into Link’s room, causing him to scrunch his nose as he slowly woke up. He hugged Ravio closer to him and buried his face into his hair- only to realize he was spooning a pillow and not his boyfriend. He blinked groggily and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, yawning as he sat up.

“Rav?” He called sleepily, scratching his cheek stubble. 

When no answer came, he looked around and fully realized he was alone. Deeper in the house he could hear pots and pans clinking together and poorly contained giggles. Yawning again, he rolled out of bed and stumbled into the hall, grabbing a pair of sweatpants and pulling them on before entering the kitchen.

The source of the giggles, Aryll and Ravio, turned to him with wide grins. Ravio stood over the stove, a spatula in his hand and pancake batter on his cheeks and nose. Ar’s caked hands showed Link who was responsible for the Lorulean’s messy face. 

“We made pancakes!” Ravio cheered, waving the spatula proudly.

“Yeah! Surprise! You get to taste them first!” Aryll jumped up and down, grabbing Link’s hands with her sticky fingers.

Link’s eyes scanned the kitchen, trying to hide his horror with a smile. A mountain of dirty dishes were piled in the sink next to a mysteriously wet pile of paper towels. A pan was upside down on the counter with a burnt crisp of _something_ cooked black into the bottom. The mixer was clearly not used properly, splatters of pancake mix dripping from the appliance’s main body. Egg shells were in a haphazard pile, some with dough stuck on them from being pulled out after accidentally falling in. The powder from the instant mix dusted _everything_. All and all, it wasn’t the best thing to walk into first thing in the morning.

“Wonderful,” Link gritted out with a pained smile. The mere thought of cleaning this war zone awakened a headache.

“Here,” Aryll commanded, pulling him to the table, “Sit down and enjoy!”

Reluctantly, Link sat. His stomach flipped when the two proud cooks presented him with a short stack, thick maple syrup drizzled on top. It didn’t look burnt, but some how that didn’t seem encouraging. Hesitantly, he cut off a small piece, closing his eyes tightly as he put it in his mouth. 

It was just as bad as he thought.

It wasn’t burnt, it was _raw._ He tried to hide his disgust as he bit into another piece, a clump of instant mix breaking into powder on his tongue. He placed down his fork and smiled warily up at them. Their eyes were wide with anticipation, both clutching their hands together as they waited for him to say something.

“It’s, uh,” he started, wondering if telling them the truth would help anyone, “Honestly?”

The both nodded eagerly. 

He sighed softly. The truth could wait. Aryll was still young and trying out new things, so why should he let her down by discouraging her cooking? Ravio on the other hand…

“It’s delicious, Ar! Best pancakes I’ve ever had.”

She let out a happy squeak, grabbing a plate for herself. Ravio sat down next to Link, looking proud as a peacock.

“So, does this mean I can cook at home now?”

“Uh.” Link hesitated, looking at the dubious excuse for a flapjack that was plopped on his plate. “Maybe we can cook _together_. I can teach you how to mix batter for starters…” 

Ravio scoffed. “I know how to do that. I just did it.”

A particularly wet piece was cut by Link and stabbed with the fork. He locked eyes with Rav with a tight frown. 

“Open.”

Ravio scrunched his nose in confusion, but obeyed, opening his mouth. The second the half-cooked pastry was in his mouth, he spat it out.

“I am _so_ sorry,” he gasped, coughing to get the last of the taste out. 

Link chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll make a new batch.”

Rav sighed. “I’ll be sure to clean up, then.”

“You fucking better,” the Hylian grumbled, glancing at the disastrous kitchen. There was no way Grandma was going to let this slide.

Luckily, between the three of them, the kitchen was spotless by the time the old woman awoke. She smiled as she took in the scene: Link was helping Aryll cut sweet peppers into cubes as bacon sizzled in the skillet. Ravio scrubbed the last of the dishes at the sink as fresh stack of golden-brown (fully cooked) pancakes sat steaming on the table. The maple syrup was warming on the back burner as the two siblings began mixing together eggs for omelets. Ravio was the first to notice her.

“Good morning, Gran!” He grinned and placed the last dish on the drying rack, wiping his hands with a dish towel. “Would you like some coffee?”

The other two shot her their own grins and pleasant greetings. She placed a hand over her heart and smiled, her eyes almost tearing up. 

“That sounds lovely, Ravio. Thank you.” 

She sat down and the three of them brought her coffee, pancakes, and bacon. Link gave her a quick peck on the forehead before asking her what she wanted in her omelet. Within moments, the four of them were around the table, stuffing their faces and laughing as they talked. 

“I feel like the queen,” Grandma joked, “I don’t know how I’m going to go back to helping myself after being waited on like this.”

“Maybe Aryll can became your new servant,” Link teased, talking between mouthfuls of eggs.

“Or maybe Link can just stay here,” Aryll said bluntly.

Link laughed halfheartedly. “Oh, yeah. I’ll quit my job and become a full-time homemaker.”

“At least you’d still be here, at home,” his little sister mumbled.

There was silence as Link slowly lowered his fork. Ar was glaring down at her plate as she poked at the last few bites of bacon she had. 

“Aryll, darling,” Grandma said softly, “now’s not the time.”

“It’s never the time,” she grumbled, slumping in her chair. 

“Ar,” Link began, but she stood abruptly, cutting him off. She grabbed her plate and dropped it in the sink, silently leaving them to run to her room. The door slammed shut and the three were left alone.

Link sighed, pushing his chair out to get up. “I’ll go talk to her,” her mumbled.

Grandma placed a hand on his and shook her head. “Let her be alone for a little while. You can talk to her later.”

He sighed, shoulders slouching as he leaned back. They finished their breakfast in silence, Ravio’s mind racing. After the last bite of bacon and the last sip of coffee, he volunteered to do the dishes. Neither of them objected.

… (Note: Warning starts here) ...

Aryll sat on her bed, the large green bear clutched tightly to her chest by its neck. She didn’t move when a soft knock came nor did she look up when the door slowly creaked open. She scrunched her face in anger as Link shut the door behind him and sat on the bed next to her. He was looking at the ceiling as they sat in silence, the child’s eyes filling with reluctant tears.

“You know,” he said softly, “they sell those glow-in-the-dark stars in the toy shop in town. I can pick some up for you. They even have ones shaped like animals.”

She was silent as she gripped the plush closer. Maybe if she ignored him, he would leave her alone… He leaned back on his hands, quelling her hopes. 

“I’m pretty sure if we measured them out correctly, we could make accurate constellations.” He paused thoughtfully and turned his head to look at her. “Maybe we could make new ones, too.”

“… I hate you,” she whispered into the stuffed animal’s head.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. 

“That’s too bad,” he said, “Because I don’t hate you.” 

She glared at him, eyes red and glistening. “Then why are you leaving again?”

That hit him like a punch in the gut and he tried not to show it. Instead, he opened his eyes and gave her a sad smile. “It’s not like I’m going away for good, Ar. I’m just going back to Hateno.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“I know.”

“Then don’t.”

“I can’t, Ar.”

“Why not? Why can’t you just stay here?” Her voice was rising.

“Because I don’t live here anymore, Aryll.”

“Why can’t you just come back?!”

“Because I just _can’t_ , Ar!”

He was getting frustrated. Why did they always have this fight? Why did she have to have a tantrum every single time he visited? Why couldn’t she just _grow up_ and accept he had a life outside of Outset? Why the hell did she have to make it so hard for them?

“Try!” She was yelling now, cheeks red and hot tears streaming down her face. “Mom said ‘ _Can’t_ is just a word for _won’t try_ ’!” 

_That_ was a low blow. She didn’t care. Link stood, hands flexing and releasing into fists at his sides. Shutting his eyes tight, he took another deep breath, letting it out in a shuttering sigh.

He _tried_. He tried not to think about the white halls of the hospital, the endless beeping and hissing air of the oxygen pumps. Tried not to recall the smell of disinfected nylon and orange air fresheners. Tried not to think of his once loving dad gripping the neck of yet another bottle, drowning in his grief and drunkenness.

The peers that never knew what to say, treating him like glass when he returned to school. The pitying stares of adults and the endless words of ‘I’m sorry for your loss’. The stack of get-well cards that mocked him until he tore them all to shreds. The hands on his shoulders, telling him to be strong. The woman that laid with tubes in her nose and mouth as morphine dripped into her sleeping corpse. 

He tried to remember his mother’s face before the sickness claimed her lungs. Before the smoke finally caught up to her, causing her to gasp for air like a floundering fish on the docks. Before the fire finished the job of its destruction.

He tried to remembered her hair, long and blonde, pulled up in a bun with wisps falling around her face. Her eyes as she laughed, helping her two children catch fireflies and telling her little girl about fairies. Her voice as she scolded her son after he tracked mud into the house, only for her kind smile to return when he handed her a fist full of dirty wildflowers that excused his mess.

He tried, but all he could think of was holding a 6 year-old that lost her mother far too soon. He saw his father’s eyes that lost all feeling as they lowered his wife into the ground. He heard the man’s tongue that grew sharp as his son’s fell still. He felt the weight of of his little sister as she clung to him, asking where daddy went and why wasn’t he coming home.

He opened his eyes and turned to her. She was glaring at the ground, not daring to look at him. 

“I’m sorry I’m not Mom,” he said evenly, “But I’m not abandoning you, Aryll. I’ll always come back.” He sat down next to her. “I promise.”

She broke, her sobs choked out as she dropped the bear and buried herself into Link’s arms instead. He held her tightly, incasing her in a hug that slowed her trembling. He bit back his own tears as she wailed loudly into his chest, hiccuping as she tried to catch her breath. Minutes passed, but to them, it felt like hours. Slowly, ever so slowly, her sobbing quieted and evened out. He held her close, petting her golden hair softly. Her sniffles quieted and they sat in silence for a few peaceful moments.

“You’re not mad at me?” she asked in a small voice.

“No, Ar, I’m not mad at you. I was just a little… upset.”

“I didn’t mean to make you sad…”

He sighed, letting his hand drop from her hair to her back. “Aryll… You didn’t make me sad. I’m sorry you’re upset about me and Rav leaving, but we have to go home eventually.”

“But this is your home,” she whispered into his shirt.

Link leaned his head onto hers. He didn’t know if he had the energy to go through all of that again. 

But he tried.

“I have two homes, Trout.” 

His tone was softer and lighter, hopeful for her to stay as calm as she was now. She looked up at him, eyes red and puffy with a nice smear of snot under her nose. 

“You can’t have _two_ homes.” She said it as if he told her he had two extra hands: something impossible and unthinkable. For her, he supposed it was true. He chuckled lightly, grabbing a tissue from her nightstand. 

“Of course I can. I have this one with you and Grandma.” He wiped her cheeks and nose. “And I have my Hateno home with Ravio.”

“… And Sheerow?”

He chuckled again. “Yeah, and that little gremlin bird.” He hesitated, looking at her with a small, but sly, smile. “He bites, you know.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “What? Ravy didn’t mention that!”

“Because he doesn’t bite Ravy. He bites _me_.” 

Aryll fought back a small fit of giggles. “What did you do to him?”

Link scoffed dramatically. “What did _I_ do? I didn’t do anything! That little beast just hates me!”

Her giggles increased as her brother elaborated, both happy for the change of topic. He told her all about how the cockatoo never stops screeching and tears apart every piece of paper he sees. When ever Ravio lets Sheerow out to exercise, Link’s stuff ends up ‘mysteriously’ missing. His keys were found thrown behind the dresser, his watch was plopped onto of the fridge- not even his socks were safe from that little thief. They’re lucky they still have a couch after they witnessed what the bird could do to a pillow. Not just any pillow: _Link’s_ pillow. 

“That bird’s out to get me, I just know it.”

She covered her mouth as she snickered. “Maybe he knows what you did to Miss Marie’s cuccos and is out to avenge them.”

Link frowned deeply and gave a far off look. “Oh, no. If you’re right, then I’m bird food. I just hope he has more mercy than those damn chickens.”

They both looked at each other, silent looks of shock and fear as Link gasped. Aryll was the one to break the act. She doubled forwards as she cackled, holding her stomach as Link leaned back on her bed, laughing loudly. 

Aching cheeks and short of breath, their laughs slowly died down to giggles. They stayed on the bed for a few more moments, enjoying the relief they both felt. They both jumped when there was a knock on the door.

“Hey, uh,” came Ravio’s muffled voice, “Me and Grandma made some cookies. I brought some if you’d-“

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as the door flung open, two sets of eager blue eyes looking at the platter of warm cookies. Aryll didn’t hesitate as she wolfed down three almost immediately. Link, on the other hand, looked a little wary.

“I already tasted them,” Ravio assured him, smiling proudly, “And they are more than editable this time.”

Link smiled and bit into the fresh pastry. He didn’t mean to hum in delight, but the relief of sweetness after his bitter ordeal was a welcomed change. It was an added bonus that Ravio’s baking was finally a success. He had to thank his grandmother later…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary:
> 
> Ravio is a terrible cook and Aryll isn't any better. Link saves the day and makes a delicious breakfast. Grandma loves all her grandchildren and jokes that after Link and Rav leave, she's going to miss the service. Aryll says Link should just stay with them and the others think she's joking. She's not. She storms off to her room.  
> After letting her be alone in her room for a while, Link goes in to comfort her. It doesn't really work the way he plans and they end up fighting. Aryll apparently fights him at the end of every visit, claiming that he's leaving her behind and she wants him to stay. After saying (yelling) that he can't, Aryll says (yells) that their mom always said that 'can't' is another way of saying 'won't try', so he should try.  
> This hits him hard and he goes through memories of his mother and father. The fire from his teenage years resulted in his mom getting lung cancer from the smoke and other chemicals. His father fell to alcoholism and was all around losing himself, becoming cruel to mask his grief. Link, during this trauma, stops talking. Their father leaves one day and doesn't come back for some unknown reason. All through this, Link is the one to comfort Aryll.  
> He assures her that he's not leaving forever and he promises her that he will always come back. He tells her that he has two homes, Outset with her and Grandma and Hateno with Ravio. "And Sheerow," Aryll adds. Lightening the mood, Link tells Aryll how awful the bird really is. The laugh, all is fine, and Ravio brings cookies that Grandma and him made.
> 
> Next one is lighter, I swear!! ((Also, fun fact: My dyslexic brain does not like the word 'hateno' and I keep spelling it 'henato'))


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, this is all fluff! With some marine life!   
> Plus, happy world turtle day! I recommend donating to environmental causes today to help those funky dudes out

The afternoon sun beamed down on the southern shores of Outset Island, baking the white hot sand and the beach-goers without distinction or care. The limpid waters shimmered with light that danced far beyond the horizon as white sails of far off boaters dotted the seascape. Ravio laid on a wide beach towel, dozing off under the shade of his umbrella. Besides the sporadic screech of a gull or shouts from children, the only sounds the Lorulean could hear were the crashing of waves. 

“You want to make a sandcastle with us?”

Ravio blinked his eyes open, blearily squinting in the sun despite his sunglasses. Link was leaning over him, water dripping off of him and sand stuck to his legs. His eyes were as bright as his smile, hair dark with seawater. Ravio let his eyes wander down his frame, smirking as he took in the glittering droplets on Link’s bare chest. The Hylian was breathing heavily, leaning his hands on his knees as he waited eagerly for his boyfriend’s answer. Rav didn’t have to look past him to know Aryll was watching and waiting as well.

“Did you just run out of the water to ask me?” Ravio asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“Like, as soon at the thought occurred to you?”

“Mm-hmm.”

He looked thoughtfully at the blond, his smirk turning more into a caring smile. “Then how can I say no, Mr. Hero?”

Link grinned, positively radiating joy. He grabbed Rav’s hand and pulled him up, dragging him closer to the shoreline. Aryll cheered when they reached her. Though Ravio hated the feeling of wet sand on his legs, they all sat together and started to work. 

It was harder, Ravio quickly realized, to create a solid shape with out the help of a pail. Still, they made it work. Soon their mount of sloppy sand was beginning to resemble a building. Sticks were collected to make flag poles. A bridge was made across a small, dug out moat. Small shells and shiny pebbles were added as crests and windows on their salty palace. Ravio didn’t know how much time had past when Aryll placed the last detail, a blue chip of beach glass, on the castle’s face. She sat back on his heels, grinning as they admired their handiwork.

“I think it’s move-in ready,” Ravio joked, sending a wink to the blonds.

Link rolled his eyes, smiling. “Talk about prime real-estate.”

“Beach front, water view,” Ravio announced in his best merchant voice, “This place has it all! Yours for just the low, low price of eight-million rupees.”

Link barked out a laugh. “Eight-million?”

The other nodded, puffing up his chest. “Good sir, I must say that this property is worth well over _twelve_! With such a high demand, too! You’re lucky to have come at the time you have. These places go quick.”

Link covered his mouth, acting out a dramatic gasp. “My word, are you quite sure?” Ravio nodded. “Then by all means, tell me: how quick do they go?”

Aryll giggled, her shoulders shaking as she laughed. Rav chuckled, about to continue their little game, when a large wave licked at his feet. He yelped, jumping up as the water raced back to the sea only to roar back up again. Within minutes, the sandcastle was little more than a mound with bits of shell and rocks peeking out.

“Ah,” Link said, standing and brushing the sand from his butt, “That _is_ quick. Hope you have flood insurance.”

Despite laughing at his joke, Aryll and Rav looked distraught. Link wrapped his arms around them, chuckling softly as he pulled them close. 

“Don’t look so sad,” he teased, “I doubt you’d want seagulls and crabs as neighbors anyway.”

Once again, Aryll was all giggles. She pulled away from them and pointed to the water. “Let’s go back to swimming, Link! I wanna see if I can find a conch deeper out!”

Her brother grinned, still holding Ravio close to him. “In a minute, Trout.” She shrugged and dove back into the water, leaving the two alone.

“You’re not really upset, are you, Bunny?”

Ravio huffed, leaning his head against Link’s shoulder. “It took so long to make,” he groaned.

Link chuckled, running his sandy fingers through black hair without thinking. _Oops._

“Besides,” Ravio continued, “How am I going to get eight-million big ones if it’s just a lump!”

“ _Bunny!_ ” Link barked out a laugh, shaking his head. 

Ravio gave him a cheeky grin and grabbed his hand. “I need to put more sunscreen on. Help me? I wouldn’t mind feeling those strong hands slick on my back.”

Link smirked and quirked a brow. He moved his sandy hand from Rav’s hair to his cheek. The Lorulean leaned to the touch.

And regretted it immediately.

“Gross,” he whined, pulling away and wiping the sand from his cheek. “Never mind. You’re too dirty.”

Link gave him a quick kiss on his forehead. “Come swim with us.”

Ravio scoffed. “No, thanks.”

The other pouted. “It will wash the sand out of your hair.”

“The _what!?_ ” He franticly shook and scratched his head. “Liiiink!!”

The blond was already laughing and running into the ocean, hopeful eyes looking back. Ravio whined again but followed. He yelped as a stray string of seaweed brushed against his leg. He tried to back up quickly, skin crawling as he stumbled. He immediately lost his balance in the shallows, arms windmilling out in vain. He fell with a large splash and Link was by his side in seconds.

“You okay?” He pulled Rav to his feet again, face tight with worry. “I’m sorry, I should of listened when you said no- AH!”

Link was cut off as the Lorulean pushed him down, quickly going under. He breached and gasped just in time to see Ravio snickering. 

“Guys! Come on!” Aryll was deeper in, waving her hands around to get their attention. “Come here! Quick!”

Link dove, expertly swimming through the low waves to his little sister. Ravio was less than graceful, but still managed to doggy paddle over. He swam next to Link, looking over his shoulder to see what fascinated the kid. 

He gasped and gripped Link’s arms, eyes wide. There, just a few feet away from the small 10 year-old, was a massive ray. It was as wide as a truck tire, lazily flapping its sides like a slow motion bird in the wind. He nearly shrieked as Aryll swam closer to it, her hand out stretched. Luckily, Link stopped her.

“Ar, leave it alone. It probably don’t want to be touched.”

She glanced at him, disappointment clear on her face. “But-“

“That thing could kill you!” Ravio cried, clutching Link tighter.

Both siblings looked at him, puzzled. Slowly, their lips curled into identical smiles. Ravio paled as the blonds shared a look and a nod. Suddenly, both of them dove down to the bottom, leaving the Lorulean to tread and dread. 

The ray was already gone by the time Aryll resurfaced. Her hair was covering most of her face, reminding Rav of a certain horror movie. Something crawling out of the TV might have been better than what she was about to do, though. Link’s head peeked out of the waves next, what ever he was holding obscured by the ripples around him. It was brown and that was the extent of Ravio’s knowledge.

“Wh-what do you have?” He stammered as the blonds grinned.

“You’ve ever seen a horseshoe crab, Ravy?” Aryll asked, sounding as innocent as a convicted criminal.

“… Like, in real life?”

He screeched as Link pulled the crustacean up. Beady little ‘eyes’ glared at him from the animal’s shell, its spike tail whipping around as it tried to free itself from the blond’s gentle grasp. It had sharp ridges and too many legs. The pointed appendages wriggled in the air as it tried to hit Link’s fingers where he held the shell’s edge. It was an ancient evil, a prehistoric monster that lived far too long for Ravio’s liking.

“Isn’t it cool?” Link said with a large grin. “And they’re harmless!”

Ravio blinked a few times. _Link clearly has lost his mind. There is no way in hell that this isn’t dangerous._

But the blond still smiled. He carefully flipped the crab upside down, reveling its disgusting, wiggling underbelly. It had tiny pinchers that opened and clasped around nothing as its gills flared angrily. Link noticed the flickering of the flaps and winced. 

“Sorry, buddy,” he mumbled as he lowered it under the water, still holding it so Ravio could see. He glanced up and smiled again, blue eyes shimmering in excitement. “These things are amazing, Rav! They’ve been around forever, even before dinosaurs.”

“Th-that’s great,” Ravio said, still eyeing the pike that kept whipping around.

Aryll grabbed his hand underwater, pulling herself to him. “They don’t have teeth or jaws so they crush their food with its legs.” She pointed at something in its middle. “This one’s a girl.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” he mumbled, his initial shock slowly dissipating. 

They stayed there for a little while, Aryll running off facts and interesting details about the creature. Ravio was more than relieved when she informed him that its tail was meant to flip themselves over if they landed on their back, not for impaling prey or enemies. The more she rambled on, the less terrible the horseshoe crab seemed. It creeped him out, yes, but that didn’t make it bad. When Link let it go and it swam back to the depths, Ravio realized, yes, they were pretty cool. Ugly as sin, but cool.

Luckily for the Lorulean, the Wilde siblings didn’t try to scare him with strange animals for the rest of the day. Ravio found himself on his beach towel again, laying on his stomach as the sun dried the salt water from his hair and swim trunks. The siblings took turns diving deep down to the bottom of the ocean, bring up pretty shells and shiny rocks. The seagulls still screeched every now and then, along with children’s laughter that fell in time with the crashing of the waves. The sun was beginning to reach down to the horizon when the siblings finally sat next to Ravio.

“I got you a cool shell,” Aryll said as she set down a scallop shell on the towel. 

He smiled and picked it up, examining it carefully. It was a pale orange with small wisps of pink that seemed like a soft blush on its serrated face. “Thanks, pal! It’s really, really pretty. A real work of art. Mother nature’s finest!”

She beamed, showing off her missing tooth as she smiled. “I’m glad you like it!”

“Like it? I love it! It’s gunna go right on my bookshelf so Sheerow can see it, too.”

Aryll giggled, remembering Link’s wariness of the bird as the latter rolled his eyes. Ravio fiddled with the shell, his smile dimming ever so slightly. 

“I miss my baby,” he said, only half-joking.

“Ah, you can call Hilda when we get home,” Link said as he strapped up the umbrella. “I’m sure she can tell you all about the mischief he’s no doubt caused.”

Ravio laughed as he stood, grabbing his shirt from his bag and pulling it over his head. “I’ll make sure to ask how she’s doing, too, this time. She was pretty miffed that I forgot in our last call.”

“Pfft, you didn’t even…” Link laughed, trailing off as he shook his head. “Poor Hilly. She’s stuck with such a silly boy.”

Ravio giggled and took Link’s hand, intertwining their fingers. “Hey, you’re stuck with this ‘silly boy’, too.”

The blond hummed, looking pleased with himself. He opened his mouth to make a dirty joke but quickly shut it and glanced at Aryll. She was standing with her hands on her hips, patiently waiting for the two to end their soon-to-be-sappy conversation. Her tote was already on her shoulder and her sunhat flopped on her head. 

“Are you two done?” she huffed, “Grandma’s making apple pie tonight and I don’t want it to be cold by the time we get back.”

Both boys grinned, picking up their own bags and shaking out the towel. 

“Good,” she said, nodding and smiling. “Let’s go.”

“You got it, boss,” Ravio quipped. 

Link took his hand again as they followed the preteen home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a PSA: Do NOT touch wild animals. Obviously, certain animals (like crabs, snails, or insects) can be handled if you're careful. If you DO find a horseshoe crab, never pick it up by its tail. You can gently lift it by the side lip of its shell, but I don't really recommend bothering them.   
> Also, Ravio's views on those little guys DEFINITELY don't reflect my opinions! I love them! They're so cute!  
> (If you've noticed the number of chapters increasing with each update, its because I keep thinking of more cute things to add before my ((actually planned out)) ending)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyy, have some fluff with a pinch of angst!

Link scrubbed the kitchen sponge against a baking pan, humming softly as he did. Ravio was next to him, wiping the dinner plates dry before handing them to Aryll to put away. It was a quiet evening, all of them exhausted from the beach. Though delicious and spectacular, Grandma’s apple pie did nothing to help their fatigue. Aryll kept yawning, causing a domino effect with the other two. It was after the fifth time that Link told her they could handle the rest of the dishes. She nodded sleepily and left them.

The boys were in comfortable silence as Link rinsed the last of the soap off a pot lid. During their time there, Ravio was more than aquatinted with the kitchen as he placed the cutlery and plates away. He hung the last pan above the stove before Link came up behind him and wrapped his hands around his waist, leaning his head against his shoulder. The Lorulean smiled, placing his hands over Link’s.

“What cha thinking about, Mr. Hero?” 

He traced his fingers against Link’s knuckles as the Hylian hummed. The blond softly kissed his neck, just before his shoulder, and let his lips linger there. Ravio’s skin still smelled like salt and suntan lotion despite his earlier shower. He closed his eyes as he breathed the sent in. Coconuts and lavender mixed with seawater and aftershave. He smelled like home.

“You,” Link answered softly. He felt Ravio shiver slightly and couldn’t stop his smirk. If they weren’t where they were, if Aryll wasn’t in the next room, if they were in Hateno…

“That’s not fair,” Rav whined. 

Link pulled his hands away from Rav’s stomach and walked his fingers up the Lorulean’s sides. Ravio giggled, wiggling a little under his touch. 

“Stop, that tickles,” he said between laughs. “Are you really trying to make me loose it?”

“Nope, I’m helping,” Link teased. “Think of those crab legs instead of my fingers.”

Ravio yelped and pulled away. “What the hell? That’s disgusting!” 

The blond snickered, covering his mouth with his hand to stifle it. “You’re not loosing it now, though.”

Rav huffed and punched Link’s shoulder. “Try that again and you’re sleeping on the floor tonight.”

“Yes, sir,” Link said, grinning before kissing Ravio on the forehead. 

“I’m gunna go call Hilda,” Rav grumbled, trying to hide his smile with feigned annoyance. 

Link hummed, wrapping his arms around the other again and pulling him close. Their lips met softly at first, Ravio almost hesitant before returning it. His hesitation didn’t last long as he tilted his head for a better angle. The taste of cinnamon and sweet apple still lingered on Link’s tongue as the Lorulean took claim of his mouth. He felt the blond tense, hands fisting the fabric on the back of Rav’s shirt and teeth finding Rav’s lower lip. With a small noise of reluctance, Ravio pulled his mouth away. 

“I’m going to call Hilda,” he repeated, reminding both his boyfriend and himself.

“Right, right,” Link muttered, face slightly flushed. 

Ravio chuckled and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. After his boyfriend left, Link collected the wet dishrags and chucked them into the laundry basket, giving a once over to see if everything was clean for the night. Satisfied, he made his way to the washroom to get ready for bed.

…

“… And Zelda came over the other night with another movie for us to watch. You ever seen _Ninja Princess_ , Rav?” 

Hilda’s face filled up half of Ravio's phone screen as he pretended to listen to her. It wasn’t that he didn’t _care_ about his best friend or what she was saying, it was just he had one particular topic on his mind— and it _wasn’t_ some B-movie action flick. He gave a noncommittal hum as she continued, her words barely registering as she explained Zelda’s love of pirates and ninjas and their constant debates on which are better. It wasn’t until Hilda’s sharp tongue shouted something to an unseen spectator that Ravio tuned his attention back to her.

“ _Non!_ ” She was shouting, aggravated but more annoyed than mad. “ _Je ne veux pas de pain!_ ”

Ravio blinked a few times. “What?”

Hilda glanced at him but continued to shout in their native tongue. “ _Arrête de me demander!”_

“Who-“ 

Ravio’s question was cut short as the tinkling voice of someone oh-so-familiar came through his grainy speakers. 

“Uh, no. I mean, _non, je suis veux… un pain?_ ”

Zelda’s voice was cracked and heavily accented, uncertain as she stumbled through the foreign language. Ravio bursted into a grin.

“You’re teaching her Lorulean?” He was smiling, but shifting his weight, not to pleased to hear his old language.

Hilda nodded, glancing over to her girlfriend to correct her. “It’s ‘ _je veux’._ You don’t need the ‘ _suis_ ’ in there. You won’t say, ‘I am want,’ would you?”

Suddenly, a flow of blonde hair flicked over Hilda’s face and covered the lens of her camera. Zelda’s airy voice and giggle cut off whatever the two Loruleans were talking about. When the golden vail was moved, Hilda’s face was bright red and her lips were smeared with pink lipgloss.

“Hello, Ravio!” Zelda said in her sing-song voice, “How is your vacation going?”

Rav giggled, shaking his head as Hilda still recovered. “It’s going great. How’s baby-sitting? I’m sure Sheerow and Hilly are enough to keep anyone busy.” 

He winked as she giggled. Hilda glared at him. 

“Oh, sure,” the latter mumbled, “Ask Zel how she’s doing, but your own best friend…”

“Zelda’s on the phone?”

Ravio turned to the door as Link walked in, a huge grin on his face. His hair was wet from his shower and face flushed from the hot water, no doubt. Rav waved him over excitedly, scooting over on the bed so Link could sit.

“Hilda’s teaching her Lorulean.” 

Link whistled, impressed. Zelda giggled on the other side, nervous as a blush creeped across her already pink features. 

“I’m not very good,” she said softly, “I only know a few phrases.”

“Better than me,” Link assured, his goofy grin not faltering, “I only know _‘oui’_ and ‘hon-hon-hon’.” 

That got Zelda giggling like mad with Hilda trying (and failing) to hide her own laughter. 

“That’s not true,” Rav intervened, playfully knocking his boyfriends shoulder. When the latter quirked a brow in question, Ravio smiled broadly. “You know ‘ _Je t’adore_ ’.”

The girls on the other side of the country continued their giggles while Link blankly stared at Ravio. Mind blank, the poor blond raked his brain for the translation. Did he know it? He knew he heard it before. It was one of those phrases that everyone knew, like ‘how do you do’ and ‘hello’. 

Letting the Hylian have his moment of confusion, Ravio turned back to his friends. 

“You’re doing pretty good, though, Zel,” he encouraged, “I mean, you seem to know the most important phrases already. But, Hilly…?” 

Hilda hummed, raising a single brow for him to continue.

“ _Pourquoi pas du pain?”_

Hilda let out a low groan as Zelda bursted out in giggles. 

“It’s the first phrase Hilda taught me,” the blonde explained excitedly. 

“Oh?” Ravio laughed. “ _Tu veux du pain?”_ Zelda nodded. _“_ How?”

Hilda’s face turned bright red again as Zelda continued.

“I asked her to speak to me in Lorulean and that’s what she said. Very seductively, I must add.”

Ravio barked out a laugh as Hilda hid her face in her hands. Poor Link was still at a loss.

“What does that even mean?” He finally asked.

Zelda gave a toothy smile, proud as a prized peacock. “Do you want some bread!”

Both boys doubled over in laughter as Hilda tried to explain. Her explanation was drowned out by their hysterics, the few words of “it still worked” only made them howl louder.

“Okay, OKAY,” she barked, trying to take control of the conversation again. “Rav, were you going to say something before _someone_ interrupted.” Zelda just giggled lightly again and pecked her cheek.

“Oh,” Ravio said, suddenly mirthless. “No, not really.”

Both girls looked at him with confusion. Zelda’s brow was furrowed in concern while Hilda’s dark crimson eyes stared at him with some sort of underlining understanding.

“It’s nothing, I promise,” he assured, “Tell Sheerow I love him and we’ll be home soon.”

“Fine, whatever,” Hilda said finally, “Text me later, yeah?”

Ravio nodded, giving a smile that didn’t quite reached his eyes. The four shared their ‘good-byes’ and ‘good-nights’, Zelda giving a hesitant ‘ _bon nuit’_ that Ravio returned with a bit more enthusiasm. After handing up, he plugged in his phone and flopped onto the mattress, snuggling a pillow to his chest.

“What was that about?”

He didn’t look up as Link asked. A calloused hand on his side made him glance over, though. Bright blue eyes watched him with a gentle warmth, a soft smile on the Hylian’s lips. Rav couldn’t help himself from returning that softness.

“I want to talk to you about… Well,” Ravio started. He rolled over onto his back and opened his arms, Link immediately snuggling against him.

“About what,” the blond whispered against his shoulder.

He felt Ravio swallow and his arms tighten their hold around him. Link’s heart was hammering. 

_Why was he suddenly so… Anxious?_

“What if we,” Ravio said carefully, each word measured and slow, “Lived here?”

There was a few beats of silence as Link rolled the sentence around in his head. _Lived_ here? _Here?_

“Not, like, in your grandmother’s house,” Ravio added as if he could read Link’s thoughts, “But closer.”

Link stayed silent.

**“** There’s a theater in Windfall,” his boyfriend continued, “Which is a short commute with the ferry. I could see if I could land a job there. I’m sure you can transfer to the local office there, too.” 

Still, Link was quiet. It wasn’t… a _terrible_ idea, but…

“Or, if we moved to Lurelin, we’d still be in Necluda. It would be way easier to visit if we were two hours away and not eight.” 

Ravio was talking faster now. Blue eyes glanced up at him. He was staring at the ceiling, eyes wide as if he was explaining an elaborate scheme that would never work.

“And it isn’t _too_ far away from Hateno, so it’s not like we’d be really far away from Hilda and Zelda. I like Hateno and all, but you know what? I… I like it here better.” 

He paused for a moment but softly, almost whispering, added two simple words that Link could not possibly disagree with:

“With family.”

Link sat up, gazing down at Ravio’s face with an unreadable expression. The Lorulean was about to double-back, about to tell him to forget about it and move on, but Link leaned down to place a soft kiss on his lips. His stomach flittered with butterflies as blond hair tickled his face. Pulling away just enough to speak, Link’s still-minty breath was warm against Ravio’s skin.

“I would do anything you ask, Bunny,” he whispered, “And I would love to move closer”

Ravio shifted under him. “…But?”

“But, I don’t think we can afford it.”

Rav’s whole body slumped as he looked away from Link. “What if… What if Hilda and Zelda roomed with us?” Suddenly, hope seemed to surge up in him. He looked back up to Link with a wide grin. “Four people supporting rent could definitely get us a place!”

Link gave a small snort. “Yeah, a tiny place.”

“It would still be a place!”

Green eyes looked up at him, big and pleading. Link bit his bottom lip. Again, it wasn’t a _terrible_ idea, but he didn’t really consider it a _good_ one. 

“You…” His voice faltered. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Ravio’s. 

“Me…” Ravio said slowly, gently encouraging him to go on.

Link sighed. “You would throw everything away— your job, our apartment— just to move closer to my family?”

“No,” the Lorulean said simply, “I’m willing to risk these things to move closer to _our_ family.”

Link opened his eyes and was met with a determined gleam in Ravio’s expression. They were silent as Link worked his brain around everything. Everything that happened in the week and a half they’ve been there— _Has it’s only been ten days?_ —was now on his mind.

Aryll dancing with Ravio, her smile as bright as the sun as the Lorulean sang along with her. Ravio sitting with her for _hours_ to hear her go on about a holiday that he had _no_ connection with. Grandmother’s gentle smile when she asked Link if he was ‘the one’ and his honest response. Ravio going out of his way to do something he kept a secret from Link just to win a cheap bear for his little sister. Ravio making Spirit Orbs with Grandma, Aryll’s eyes lighting up when he put on his mother’s cap over his black hair, the boy climbing the lookout with white knuckles for him, Malon telling him he was as dim as a day bird for not seeing _why_ Aryll listens to Ravio.

Oh.

Oh, he really was dim.

Ravio, the Lorulean exchange student that went to university just to leave Lorule. Ravio, who spent hours with Link despite his silence and difficult anxiety. Ravio, who hardly spoke of home without brushing it off quickly. Ravio, who was more than happy to say his bird was his child but never admitted that he himself was someone’s child. Ravio, who’s parents sent him away. Ravio, who clammed up the second someone even _mentioned_ Lorule.

That Ravio. That’s the Ravio that wanted to be with his family. No, not just for Link’s sake, but for the sake of being in a family who welcomed him. A family that baked cookies and celebrated holidays that mean something to them. A family that loved him as soon as they met him.

_That_ was what Ravio wanted.

“Oh, Bunny,” Link whispered, a small smile spreading across his lips. 

Ravio looked up at him, waiting with baited breath for Link to continue. Before he did, he kissed the Lorulean, holding his face gently in his hands. Ravio melted under him, wrapping his arms around Link and pulling him closely. After a few moments, Link pulled away again, still only a breath away from Rav’s face.

“Let’s do it.”

Ravio blinked before breaking out into a huge grin. “Really?”

Link smiled, nodding. “The least we can do is try, right?”

The other laughed, closing his eyes as happy tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, joy and relief flooding his chest. The blond kissed the tears away, then his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, before kissing his lips again. Ravio pulled him down fully on top of him, wrapping himself around the other like a koala bear and kissing him deeply. It was perfect. It was everything he wanted.

Link pulled away, breathless, as a sudden thought occurring to him. Ravio hummed, looking at him through half-lidded eyes.

“Have you ever told me something in Lorulean that wasn’t… Wasn’t what you said it was?”

Ravio frowned. “Well, I never told you I wanted bread, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Link raised a brow and the Lorulean looked away, a pink blush on his face.

“However, ‘ _mon petite pomme-de-terre_ ’ does _not_ mean ‘my lovey hero’.”

Link chuckled, kissing his cheek again. “What does it mean?”

Gracefully, Ravio avoided the question with one of his own. “Do you remember what ‘ _je t’adore’_ means yet?”

The look the Hylian gave him could of made his heart take off right then and there. Calloused hands ran up the Lorulean’s side, cradling his face gently as he kissed him softly again and again. Slowly, almost torturously, Link pulled his hands away to intertwine their fingers, pushing Ravio’s arms above his head and pinning them down against the mattress. Ravio suppressed a moan as Link licked his lips, breathing his scent in deeply. 

“Yes,” he whispered to his lover, “'I love you'.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Casually drops a Lorule/Hytopia headcannon down* They're French.   
> I haven't studied French since high school so it's a bit rusty. However, the phrases I wrote with no translations are supposed to be:  
> "No, I don't want bread!"   
> "Stop asking me!"  
> "No, I want... some bread?"  
> "Why no bread?/ Why not any bread?"  
> and lastly, my favorite, "My little potato."
> 
> Based on my own stupid self and telling a girl I spoke french and telling her basically really stupid jokes in a sexy voice. And yes, it worked.
> 
> Next chapter will probs just be an epilogue :)   
> ((But, hey, who knows ahaha))


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm Shire, AKA The author who keeps saying "There's only one chapter left" and then proceeds to add more chapters to this fluff pile. So now enjoy everyone's favorite Grandma's boy(s)

Link woke up late, Ravio fully encasing him like an octopus. He blinked blearily as the late morning sun beamed through the thin curtains. Glancing at the alarm clock, he bit back a groan.

11:51 am

He _never_ slept in that late. How he snoozed past his own internal clock, he’d never know. More surprising to him was the lack of a certain child bursting into their room to wake them up. Perhaps Grandma prevented her from barging in or bribed her with cake. Link closed his eyes and smiled, the image of Grandma’s nut cake almost making his stomach growl.

He was pulled from his daydreaming by Ravio’s limbs tightening around him, clinging to him with a vice-grip. The Lorulean was muttering something, sleep talking against Link’s chest. The Hylian quirked a brow as he listened to the nonsense that mumbled out of his boyfriend’s mouth.

“Pay up… Mr. Hero… half off arrows and… my clothes…”

Link snorted loudly, unable to help himself. With the sudden noise breaking the silence, Ravio jolted awake with a gasp.

“I didn’t do it!” He sputtered out.

Link laughed, holding Ravio gently as the other flailed in a half-conscious panic.

“Bunny,” the blond cooed, “It’s okay. You were sleeping.”

Green eyes blinked, vision still hazy from sleep. He let out a quiet grunt and sighed, falling back against Link’s warm body once more.

“Gods,” he grumbled, “You scared the living daylights outta me.”

Link placed a sweet kiss against his temple. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Ravio huffed and closed his eyes again, curling up next to Link with the intention to fall back asleep. His boyfriend, however, gently pushed him away to get up.

“It’s noon, Bunny,” he said as he stood.

He stretched and yawned. Ravio didn’t move.

“Rav,” Link said, his tone not unlike a parent with an unruly child.

“Link,” Ravio responded, his own tone echoing the blond’s.

Link let out a sigh and shook his head. He knew by now that there wasn’t anything he could do to lure the Lorulean out of bed, be it bribes or threats or physical force. He tried straight up pulling Ravio to his feet once, only for the stubborn boy to go boneless in his arms. Despite his lean frame, the man was surprisingly heavy as a dead weight.

Picking out his clothes for the day, Link was close to just letting his boyfriend sleep in for the rest of the day. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d given up. His hands stilled when he heard the familiar pitter-patter of feet coming from the hall. His lips curved into a mischievous grin. All previous efforts to get his sleepy lover to face the day may have failed in the past, but now he had a new weapon in his arsenal.

“Alright, Rav,” he said, his voice light with a twinge of feigned disappointment. “I guess I’ll just let you sleep in. After all, this is still a vacation.”

Ravio cracked open one eye, studying Link with suspicion. The blond couldn’t make eye contact, not trusting himself to keep a straight face with his plan in mind. Fully dressed, he placed a chaste kiss on Rav’s cheek before exiting, leaving the Lorulean to his warm bed.

Ravio didn’t move, his mind now fully awake. He stared at the door, mulling over what just happened. Link never lets him sleep in without making it a huge deal. He has to fight tooth and nail just to sleep past 10 on weekends. Glancing at the clock, his puzzlement only grew more so.

Too confused to fall back asleep, he narrowed his eyes. Was this all part of the plan? To get him worked up to the point of getting out himself? Reverse psychology? He pouted. Well, too can play at that game. He closed his eyes and rolled over, snuggling back into the cozy pillow. He relaxed, letting himself slowly drift back.

Until the door swung open.

“How are you _still_ sleeping, Ravy?!”

Aryll was on him before she finished her shouted question. Hands grabbed his shoulder and suddenly he was being shook. He let out a small ‘oof’ as the ten-year-old sat on him, her hands now lightly slapping his cheeks.

“Wake up! We have things to do!”

“What _things_?” He asked, rolling over and causing her to fall off him.

She giggled and grabbed his wrist. “Important things! C’mon! You can’t just lay in bed all day! It’s a beautiful day out!”

Ravio let himself be tugged by the wrists, groaning as he shuffled to a sitting position. Link was leaning on the door frame, arms crossed and a smug smirk on his face.

“She won’t give up until you get up, Bunny.”

Ravio shot him a glare. “Using a child to do your dirty work. That’s low.”

Both siblings grinned, showing their teeth. Before the youngest one could continue her gentle assault, Ravio stood. The two blonds cheered, causing him to roll his eyes.

“You two are impossible,” he grumbled, unable to stop his smile.

Link gave him a cheeky grin.

“You love it.”

…

It wasn’t long after lunch (or breakfast for the boys) when Aryll took Ravio by the hand and begged him to play outside with her. Falling into that easy trap of her pleading eyes and teeny pout, he nodded. He glanced at Link, his question not needing to be voiced.

“I’ll be out in a bit,” the blond assured him.

And with that, the door shut and Link was left alone with his grandmother. She didn’t look up from her cross-stitching as he sat on the armrest of her easy chair, but she did gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment. They sat in comfortable silence as Link watched her weave a red thread through the cloth, the pattern slowly turning into a kitten’s collar.

“Is that from a kit?” He asked quietly.

“Miss Marie gave it to me,” she said with amusement, “She said that I ‘needed a calming hobby’. I agreed with her, but I don’t think she liked my reasoning.”

“What was it?”

“I told her that stabbing something hundreds of times would most definitely get anyone’s frustrations out and that she single handedly saved that watch seller’s life. A cloth is more acceptable than a rude man when it comes to stabbings.”

“ _Grandma!”_

She let out a chuckle as Link fought back a grin. It was easy to forget his grandmother’s dark humor, the old woman usually keeping it under lock and key. A cryptic joke was rare for her, but every time she told one, the wicked grin she gave was more than enough to let her company know there was more under the surface. Link smiled as he leaned against the backrest, settling back into their comfortable silence.

It was a few moments before Grandma paused, her needle sliding into a half-stitch before she looked up at her grandson.

“What’s on your mind, dear?”

“Nothing, Gran,” he started, “Just wanted to watch you embroider this cat.”

A sharp look from the woman told him she didn’t believe that for a second. Link gave a small sigh and shook his head.

“It’s just…” He took a deep breath, his words rushed as he tried to explain before his nerves took his voice from him. “Last night, Ravio said he wanted to move closer to here, but I don’t know if we can afford it or even be able to move locations that easily. He said that he’d look for a job at the theatre on Windfall but I don’t really think that’s how it works but I’m too afraid of trying to hold him back because I know he never had a real family before and I just want him to be happy and have to a life with him and-”

He was stopped short by a gentle hand on his knee. Tired blue eyes looked up at him— Eyes that had seen this boy grow from a child to the man that sat next to her. She smiled and Link’s breath started to calm.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Don’t apologize, dear,” she soothed, “Just go a little slower. I can’t follow your words if you talk faster than an auctioneer.”

The blond snorted and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Now,” Grandma said, placing her cross-stitch on the side table. “Ravio said he wanted to move here?”

Link nodded before elaborating. His voice was slow and steady as he twiddled his thumbs.

“He wants to be closer to here,” he said quietly. “Or rather, to you and Aryll.”

The old woman smiled, her hand going to Link’s as she silently waited for him to continue.

“But the thing is, I really don’t think we can do that. I mean, I _want_ to and it would be great to live closer and not have to visit only four, maybe five, times a year. But…”

He trailed off again and he started worrying his lip. It was a few moments of silence before Grandma spoke, her voice gentle and warm like honeyed tea.

“Link, sweetie. You’re young. You have your whole life ahead of you. You can afford to make mistakes.”

He turned to her, brows furrowed in confusion.

“But I do not think this one would be a mistake,” she continued. “It’s a risk, yes, but it is one you can make together. Love has a fine way of making things work out.”

“Love doesn’t pay the bills,” he said before he could stop himself.

“Don’t be fresh,” she scolded before chuckling. “And while it’s true that it doesn’t pay the bills, marriage sure does make those bills a bit lighter. Tax cuts, housing, credit. All that fun grown-up stuff.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know if our jobs would— wait.” His eyes widened as he realized what the old woman just said. “M-marriage?!”

“Of course,” she chirped with a nod. “And with a wedding, you’re sure to get money from gifts and what not.”

Link blinked a few times, processing the thought as slowly as a 1980’s fax machine. Grandma hummed in amusement again as she picked up her embroidery project again.

“And of course children would be easier to—“

“Th-that’s okay, Gran,” Link blurted, interrupting her next attack of domestic ideas. His brain could only handle one life-altering thought at a time, it seemed.

“It’s just something to think on, dear, that’s all.”

Slowly, oh, so slowly, Link nodded.

“Besides,” she said as she dragged the needle through the cloth once more, “No one is making you pack up your bags right this very second, right? I know how you love to make sudden decisions, but I believe this is something to sit on. Perhaps you two should continue this discussion when you return to Hateno. After all, you two may change your minds in a week or so.”

Link nodded again, eyes drifting to the floor as he considered her words.

“… And Darling?”

He glanced back at her.

“Yeah?”

She gave him a sunny smile. “Whatever you choose, just know that I will always support you. I would love it if you lived closer, yes. But I want you to be happy wherever you are. I love you so much, Link.”

Link smiled and looked down, his heart blooming warm in his chest.

“I love you, too, Grandma.”

…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is short because I just NEED TO PUT MORE FLUFF OUT THERE OKAY? Too many bads right now and I just need more unconditional love >:0 I love you all, okay!? OKAY!? YOU'RE ALL GREAT!!


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